EU Sanctions Against Russia Should Be Cancelled, Head of German Party AfD Says
06:38 GMT 25.02.2022 (Updated: 06:47 GMT 25.02.2022)
© REUTERS / Anton Vaganov
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Tino Chrupalla, the co-chairman of the German right-wing party AfD, has called for the lifting of all European economic sanctions against Russia, stressing that they have not had the desired effect in the past.
"They...harmed the German economy and population. In this regard, Nord Stream 2 remains an indispensable contribution to the security of German supplies", Chrupalla said.
The politician noted that ending military clashes in Ukraine should be the priority goal of Germany these days.
"European states in the future must jointly influence warring parties. Taking into account the legitimate interests of Russian security is also in their interests", he added.
A balloon of the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD) party can be seen during an election party in Berlin on March 13, 2016.
© AFP 2023 / John Macdougall
The official also said that all diplomatic contacts with Russia should be open, that conflicts can only be resolved at the negotiating table.
"All bilateral and multilateral diplomatic channels must be open. It is necessary to establish contact with the Russian government. The settlement of interstate conflicts can only be carried out at the negotiating table", Chrupalla stated.
On Thursday, Kiev severed diplomatic relations with Moscow, while US President Joe Biden said that there will be a "complete rupture" in US-Russian relations if they continue this way. At the same time, the EU and the UK introduced sanctions against Moscow, citing the operation in Ukraine.
The situation in Ukraine has been deteriorating over the past several days, with Kiev's forces shelling the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, prompting mass evacuations. On Thursday, Russia launched a special military op in Ukraine to stop the conflict. President Putin said the step was taken to protect the people of Donbass, noting that the goal of the operation is the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine.
