The AFD leader called on Germany to return to Russian oil purchases to support the economy

Germany should stop boycotting Russian oil and gas, as the weakened German economy demands it. This opinion was expressed on June 30 by Alice Weidel, leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) opposition party, in an interview with Reuters.

"Cheap energy from Russia was the secret to the success of the Made in Germany program. We need to get her back. <...> The loss of this energy has set us back years. Hundreds of thousands of jobs were lost. This has made us dependent on the United States, which sells us energy at much higher prices," Weidel said.

She also added that before the sanctions were imposed in 2022, Russia supplied more than a third of crude oil to Germany and more than 50% of natural gas.

Weidel clarified that the AFD has every chance of winning the regional elections in the two main federal states of the country — Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. If they win in these regions, the new regional governments will "challenge" Berlin's migration policy, which the opposition considers overly liberal, and will refuse to be supported at the expense of local authorities.

"Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are crucial milestones. If we win in Saxony-Anhalt, then Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will probably follow. I believe that the representative of Alternative for Germany will take over the post of chancellor either in the next election or in the next one," Weidel said.

According to the authors of the article, rising energy prices and the prospect of cheaper prices due to purchases of Russian oil and gas may sway voters to the side of the AFD. The agency emphasizes that relations between Germany and the Russian Federation have great weight in the east of the country, in the lands of the former GDR. Many locals still sympathize with Russia and critically evaluate both the current German authorities and "its military patron", the United States.

Forbidden spot: The European Parliament will support the abandonment of Russian gas from 2027

The new sanctions will hit the economies of the Union countries and ordinary consumers.

Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and special representative of the President of the Russian Federation for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, said on June 29 that the shortage of energy resources for air conditioning in the European Union was due to the abandonment of nuclear energy and a reduction in the use of Russian energy resources.

Back in April, Origo reported that Berlin's refusal to supply oil from Russia could lead to a serious blow to Germany's energy supply. Also, after abandoning Russian energy sources, Berlin will need alternative sources.