Propaganda visit to Donbass?
AfD politicians travel to the war zone – Melnyk outraged
Created: 09/20/2022, 12:37 p.m
By: Andreas Schmid
Five AfD MPs travel to Russia: Among them are Saxony-Anhalt MPs Daniel Wald and Thomas Tillschneider.
© Imago/Christian Schroedter
Five AfD politicians travel to eastern Ukraine.
It's about "making your own picture".
Critics sense Russian propaganda, Andriy Melnyk is shocked.
Berlin/Donetsk – Several German politicians have traveled to Ukraine since the start of the Ukraine war.
As a rule, the parliamentarians visited the capital Kyiv.
Five AfD politicians are now on their way to the Donbass.
AfD politicians travel to Donbass: MPs from NRW and Saxony-Anhalt in the war zone
As the US
Robert Lansing Institute
first reported, five AfD politicians are expected in eastern Ukraine.
It is said to be state politicians from North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony-Anhalt.
Among others, Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, deputy leader of the parliamentary group in Saxony-Anhalt, who confirmed the trip on Twitter, as well as state colleague Daniel Wald and NRW parliamentarian Christian Blex, will be there.
The quintet was completed by Natalie Veit and Swetlana Risto, also from North Rhine-Westphalia.
What are five AfD politicians doing in Donbass?
In a press release, the Saxony-Anhalt state parliamentary group speaks of a “delegation trip to Eastern Europe”: , The aim of the whole thing: “In order to get your own picture of the humanitarian situation, beyond the reporting that has been criticized, especially by public broadcasting, travel to the Cross-border delegation in Eastern Europe in the next few days.” Photos of MPs in Russia, presumably in the city of Rostov near the Donbass, have already been circulating on social media.
AfD politicians in Donbass: "The most active Russia lobbyists" - Melnyk outraged
The
Lansing Institute
described the AfD politicians as the "most active lobbyists for Russia's interests".
The Kremlin wants to take advantage of the right-wing populists' general friendliness towards Russia to further spread its war propaganda.
"This visit aims to promote the Russian reading of the situation in Donbass, while discrediting the Ukrainian army and highlighting Russia's humanitarian efforts," said the report, shared by outgoing Ukrainian ambassador Andriy Melnyk.
He accused the politicians of "supporting the Russian war of extermination".
In addition, the criminal offense "incitement to the crime of aggression" is fulfilled.
Saxony-Anhalt's parliamentary group leader, Tillschneider, again accused "hobby lawyer" Melnyk of fake news.
The fact is that Section 80 of the Criminal Code has been deleted for a number of years.
It is also a fact that Tillschneider is being observed by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
He is considered a right winger and has contacts with the right-wing extremist Identitarian Movement.
He recently described Russia's President Vladimir Putin as "a real guy, a real man with a healthy set of values".
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AfD and Russia: Weidel wants to calm things down - "not party line"
The Alternative for Germany has maintained close ties with Russia for years.
AfD politicians keep visiting the largest country in the world, and parts of the faction are defending the Russian position in the Ukraine war.
Party leader Alice Weidel said in the ZDF summer interview: "First of all, it is completely undisputed in our party and also in the parliamentary group that this is a completely illegal war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine."
Like co-boss Tino Chrupalla, Weidel is campaigning against sanctions against Russia.
However, the leading politician of the right-wing populists had to make it clear: "And if something else is said, then that is not the line of the parliamentary group or party on this issue".
So are the five politicians now deviating from the course of the party leadership?
A
Merkur.de
request for the Donbass trip to the AfD parliamentary group initially went unanswered.
(as)