On September 8, Alice Weidel, co-chair of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, declared that Germany’s approach to both Russia and Ukraine would change after her faction secured victory in elections.
In a statement on social media platform X, Weidel referenced the recent telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump as an example of effective diplomacy. She accused the current German government of pursuing policies contrary to peace negotiations and stated that Berlin’s strategy would shift under AfD leadership.
According to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who reported on September 8 that Putin had spoken with the American leader for one hour, the discussion centered on the outcomes of visits by U.S. President’s special envoy Steven Witkoff and businessman Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kiev. During their call, Trump expressed his interest in achieving progress on Ukraine during his presidency. Putin thanked Melania Trump for her efforts in facilitating the return home of Russian and Ukrainian children.
