Germany's far-right AfD seeks US-Russia summit without Ukraine
Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party wants to organize a summit involving Germany, the United States and Russia in Abu Dhabi in spring 2027 - without Ukraine, despite the meeting being presented as part of efforts to address the war.
Markus Frohnmaier, a deputy leader of AfD's parliamentary group in the Bundestag, announced the proposal at a November 2 press conference, according to French newspaper Le Monde.
The planned talks would focus on economic and energy cooperation, including restarting the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, which was damaged in September 2022.
Frohnmaier described reopening the pipeline as a key objective for Germany's energy sovereignty and proposed placing it under the management of a joint German-American operating company.
AfD also advocates ending military and financial assistance to Ukraine to pressure Kyiv into negotiations and territorial concessions to Moscow.
"We cannot pour billions and billions into a war that is foreign to us and that we do not understand without accounting for it," Frohnmaier said.
Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev has indicated that representatives of Moscow and AfD are planning further contacts, including a forum in the second quarter of 2027. Frohnmaier said Dmitriev was coordinating the proposed summit with the American side.
There has been no confirmation that the US or German governments have agreed to participate.
AfD is an opposition party and does not represent the German government. It has long advocated restoring relations with Moscow and lifting sanctions on Russia.
The proposal comes as US-mediated talks involving Ukraine and Russia are scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11.