Michael Kretschmer, prime minister of the eastern German state of Saxony, reiterated his call for talks to end the war in Ukraine on Monday, just two weeks before state elections in which the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is expected to win.
Kretschmer, a member of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which is in opposition at the federal level, described the war as “a tragic development in which many people died every day.”
He recently backed a federal decision to cut arms spending for Ukraine as the country battles a full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022.
Kretschmer said Germany should have played a mediating role in line with past policies instead of supporting Ukraine with weapons and training. He criticized Green Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock for her staunch support for the Ukrainian government and military.
According to recent media reports, Germany will radically cut military aid to Ukraine next year, saying seized Russian assets could be used instead.
The CDU and AfD are both at around 30% in the polls ahead of the September 1 elections in Saxony. The three parties in the centre-left federal coalition are far behind.
The AfD, whose strongly anti-immigration policies are rejected by mainstream parties, has taken a line that shows more understanding for the Russian position. Party members boycotted a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the federal parliament in June.
Kretschmer’s position on Ukraine differs from that of CDU leader Friedrich Merz, who last month called for stronger support for Ukraine, including the supply of fighter jets, in an interview with German public broadcaster ARD.
