Germany's AfD fractures over Russia ties and US troop withdrawal demands

AfD's Foreign Policy Rift Deepens as Pro-Russia Faction Targets Key Figures

A bitter dispute over foreign policy is escalating within the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). In an interview with the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, Rüdiger Lucassen, the party's defense policy spokesman in the Bundestag, accused the pro-Russia faction led by Björn Höcke, the AfD's state leader in Thuringia, of attempting to force him out of his position. The party's deeply divided stance on the U.S. has also come into sharp focus—especially since the Iran conflict—with one wing seeking closer ties to then-President Donald Trump while co-party leader Tino Chrupalla called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Germany during a Saturday speech in Saxony. His remarks drew both support and fierce criticism from within the party.

Maximilian Krah, an AfD Bundestag member, publicly contradicted Chrupalla in a post on X, arguing that Germany needs "strong partners." He invoked historical parallels, noting that Germany had twice pursued full sovereignty—both times with catastrophic consequences. "That is why it is good to be allied with the U.S.," Krah emphasized.

"NATO Boy" Lucassen vs. Höcke's Pro-Russia Camp

The fact that Lucassen—a defense policy expert—has become a target is no coincidence. In December, he publicly distanced himself from Höcke after the Thuringia AfD leader declared that Germany, in its current state, was "not worth defending" in the context of reintroducing conscription. Lucassen was later reprimanded by the parliamentary group's leadership.

But the conflict runs deeper than a disagreement over military service. Lucassen's foreign policy stance stands in stark opposition to Höcke's faction: Like Krah, he remains committed to Germany's Western alliances, identifies Russia as the greatest threat on NATO's eastern flank, and dismisses the party's Russia sympathizers as "Putinists." Critics within the party, meanwhile, mockingly refer to Lucassen as the "NATO boy."

Hannes Gnauck, another AfD defense policy expert and former soldier known for his pro-NATO views, also found himself at odds with the party line. After drafting a press release in support of the U.S. during the Iran conflict, signaling Germany's backing for the EU's "Aspides" mission in the Strait of Hormuz, party co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla intervened, according to a report by t-online. The statement—calling for the Bundeswehr to "fully utilize" its mandate to escort ships in the region—was never published.

Krah Criticizes AfD's Anti-U.S. Stance: "Firewall" Is Self-Inflicted

Foreign policy has been a contentious issue for the AfD since its founding. While the party has long been associated with pro-Russia sympathies, internal divisions run deep. Krah—currently under investigation for corruption over his ties to China—argues that the AfD's own extreme positions on domestic and foreign policy have reinforced the so-called cordon sanitaire imposed by other parties.

In another X post, the Saxon Bundestag member wrote that the AfD's rejection of the U.S., along with its ambiguous stance on Martin Sellner's "remigration" plan, has made cooperation with mainstream parties impossible. "Union politicians can only call for engagement with the AfD if we abandon our maximalist demands," Krah stated. He warned that the party's hardline approach to naturalized migrants and its opposition to the U.S. alliance risk making government participation in 2029 unattainable. "We need clarity soon, or it will be out of reach."

Sellner's "Remigration" Plan: A Political Liability for the AfD

When Krah refers to the "treatment of naturalized migrants," he is alluding to Sellner's "remigration" concept—a proposal that would apply even to German citizens and that the Federal Administrative Court has equated with denaturalization. Sellner, the Austrian leader of the far-right Identitarian Movement, presented the plan in November 2023 near Potsdam as part of a "master plan" to senior AfD officials, as reported by CORRECTIV.

Just before and after the meeting, Sellner presented his proposal in other contexts—including in an interview with Compact magazine—suggesting that as many as five to six million citizens could be affected. Since then, the debate over his plan, which courts have deemed "unconstitutional" and a violation of "human dignity," has dominated discussions about whether the Alternative for Germany (AfD) itself complies with constitutional principles. Krah has demanded that the AfD explicitly reject Sellner's "remigration" concept and any political agenda rooted in völkisch ideology that discriminates against citizens with migrant backgrounds. So far, however, his remains a prominent but isolated stance.

The AfD leadership under Chrupalla and Alice Weidel has failed to credibly distance itself from Sellner and his proposal. Senior party figures, such as federal executive member Kay Gottschalk, have repeatedly sought proximity to Sellner and his ideas.

Now, a dispute over foreign policy has further deepened the rift. The AfD initially aligned itself conspicuously with Russia and Vladimir Putin, then pivoted toward Donald Trump after his reelection as U.S. president, and is now attempting to distance itself from Trump again following the outbreak of the Iran conflict. Chrupalla's call for the withdrawal of U.S. troops has sparked particular outrage within the party. Sources in the AfD's Bundestag faction claim that with this statement, Chrupalla has "crossed the Rubicon." If party leaders fail to rein him in, they warn, the AfD could even face a split.