AfD and BSW Push to End German Support for Ukraine in Sachsen-Anhalt

In a notable political development in the newly formed Sachsen-Anhalt Landtag, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the BSW party have jointly submitted a proposal to halt German military and financial aid to Ukraine. Their initiative calls for an immediate ceasefire, peace negotiations with Russia, and the lifting of economic sanctions against Moscow. This has led to the scheduling of a special Landtag session on October 14 to debate the proposal.

The AfD and BSW's resolution is titled "Peace talks instead of escalation of the war in Ukraine," emphasizing an end to what they describe as a prolongation of the conflict. AfD faction leader Ulrich Siegmund expressed the intention to use all political means to pressure the federal government: "We will exhaust all possibilities to increase political pressure on Berlin to finally advocate for an end to the war instead of its prolongation."

BSW faction leader Thomas Schulze described their peace initiative as a key election promise and stressed the urgency by stating, "we can no longer afford this war." His deputy, Claudia Wittig, confirmed a swift agreement with the AfD on the proposal, though she noted it did not require embracing all AfD positions. BSW party founder Sahra Wagenknecht criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz's recent visit to Kyiv, arguing the government should prioritize dialogue with Russia over escalating the conflict through continued support for Ukraine.

Despite the symbolic nature of the initiative — given that foreign and security policy, including arms deliveries and sanctions decisions, fall under federal and EU authority rather than that of the state governments — the proposal aims to influence national discourse. Minister-President Sven Schulze (CDU) criticized the timing and cost of arranging the special session, questioning why the issue wasn’t raised earlier and highlighting that the Landtag lacks competence in this domain.

Additionally, the election of Tobias Rausch, an AfD politician, as the Landtagspräsident of Sachsen-Anhalt marks a significant political moment, underlining the increased platform the AfD and BSW have to promote their stance on the Ukraine conflict.

The special session on October 14 will provide a formal forum for debating this proposal, reflecting ongoing tensions in German politics over the country's role in the Ukraine crisis and demonstrating divergent views within the Sachsen-Anhalt parliament on the path toward peace and German foreign policy.