AfD leader says deployment of German troops to Ukraine would be "fatal mistake"

BERLIN, August 23. /TASS/. Co-chair of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Alice Weidel, stated that the deployment of German troops to Ukraine would be a “fatal mistake” and would lead to an escalation with Russia.

"The deployment of German troops to Ukraine would be a fatal mistake. It would not bring peace but, on the contrary, would lead to a constant escalation with Russia," Weidel said in an interview with the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. "The European Union itself is becoming a target, while the United States is withdrawing from this war," the AfD leader stated.

Weidel called Vladimir Zelensky a "tragic figure." "The West gave him false hope. The Istanbul settlement would have been significantly more advantageous for Ukraine in 2022. Accordingly, Zelensky has to face criticism for actions that do not serve Ukraine's national security interests," she emphasized.

At the same time, the AfD co-chair noted that she had expected a peace initiative from Europe similar to the one proposed by US President Donald Trump. "Instead, for three and a half years, we have only heard calls for war. A neutral position would have been better," she stated. Weidel expressed the opinion that it is unlikely now "to achieve an immediate resolution to the conflict through negotiations." "The demands of the warring parties are too divergent for that," she concluded.

The possible deployment of military personnel to Ukraine is currently a hot topic in Germany. At a press conference after talks at the White House on August 18, Chancellor Friedrich Merz was non-committal about his country sending troops. He promised to discuss the issue with the coalition in Berlin, including whether the Bundestag would have to make "decisions requiring a mandate." However, now, as the chancellor stated, "it is too early to give a definitive answer to this question."

On August 18, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Russia does not accept any deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine that could lead to an uncontrolled escalation of the conflict.