As relations between Moscow and Berlin hit their lowest point since the Cold War, President Vladimir V. Putin criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz, echoing talking points from Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The party secured a blowout victory in Saxony-Anhalt elections on Sunday, capitalizing on voter anger over economic stagnation and migration.

AfD leaders accuse Merz of neglecting domestic issues to support Ukraine, arguing sanctions harm Germany more than Russia and advocating for resumed Russian gas deliveries. The Russian leader's messages align closely with AfD rhetoric, benefiting from the crisis of liberal democracy. AfD's rise is strongest in former communist eastern regions like Saxony-Anhalt, where supporters view friendship with Russia as a solution to national problems.

Voters like 83-year-old Ulrich Kasch and heating specialist Ekkehard Eibs express skepticism toward Ukraine aid and concern over domestic social services. The AfD's personal ties to Russia and rhetoric mirroring Putin's have alarmed Chancellor Merz and Germany's political establishment, confronting the limits of bringing society along in supporting Ukraine amid domestic discontent.