The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is preparing to meet with Vladimir Putin’s chief economic envoy next year to discuss the resumption of Russian gas supplies, according to two individuals familiar with the plans who spoke to Reuters.
This meeting, which could take place as early as March, will feature Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s advisor and head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, alongside AfD co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, as per one of the sources.
Although AfD currently holds the highest popularity in polls, it does not govern Germany, making the potential meeting largely symbolic. Recently, the party secured a significant victory in the Saxony-Anhalt elections and is gearing up for another electoral test this Sunday in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
The source noted that the meeting will only proceed if a peace framework is established between Russia and Ukraine first. Organizers also hope to include representatives from the United States in the discussions. Possible locations for the summit include Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and India.
Prior to sanctions imposed against Moscow in response to the war in Ukraine, Russia supplied over a third of Germany’s oil imports and more than half of its natural gas needs.
In a June interview with Reuters, Weidel advocated for an end to the boycott of Russian oil and gas, citing the need to rejuvenate Germany’s struggling economy.
Organizers Hope for U.S. Participation
Organizers are hopeful that emissaries from former President Donald Trump’s administration, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, will also attend the meeting, where the resumption of the Nord Stream pipelines is expected to be discussed, the source reported.
However, a senior U.S. official stated that Witkoff and Kushner had not been informed about the proposed summit nor invited to participate. The two had recently met with Dmitriev in Moscow during a trip that also included a visit to Kyiv.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Moscow has welcomed the initiative, calling it a “positive and timely step.”
