The AfD and BSW support the recent trips to Russia by former SPD chairman Matthias Platzeck.

AfD honorary chairman Alexander Gauland told the "Tagesspiegel" (Wednesday edition): "I think it's good and right that Matthias Platzeck continues to regularly visit Russia and hold talks there." He said he could "not even begin to understand the outrage over these trips." As a former Prime Minister of Brandenburg, Platzeck possesses "deep political knowledge," Gauland said.

He referred to Platzeck's former role as chairman of the German-Russian Forum. Platzeck has been "an experienced, knowledgeable, and committed player in German-Russian relations for many years." Especially in "politically difficult times," "diplomatic mediation is necessary," said the former AfD party and parliamentary group leader: "Mr. Platzeck wants to understand the other side without adopting every position of the other side." Gauland argued that, as former chairman of the German-Russian Forum, Platzeck "remains a kind of diplomat to this day. He is and remains a diplomat in the broader sense, even if he is not working on behalf of the Foreign Office." Gauland continued: "Platzeck has always been clear that Russia is one of Germany's most important neighbors. He knows that it is good for Germany if the Germans have a good relationship with Russia—whatever that may be." Platzeck's Russia trips also received approval from Sahra Wagenknecht, chairwoman of the BSW (Federal Social and Economic Affairs Association) named after her. "We should dare to be more Platzeck-friendly. There aren't too many, but rather too few politicians in Germany who are trying to maintain dialogue with Russia," Wagenknecht told the Tagesspiegel newspaper. It "always makes sense to hold talks. For US diplomats, this is a given, but for Germany, which as an industrial nation depends on cheap energy and raw materials from Russia, it is even more important," said Wagenknecht. She called on Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) to visit Russian President Vladimir Putin. "It would therefore also be advisable for the Chancellor to travel to Moscow. At the very latest, after the meeting with Trump in the White House, Merz should have also sought a meeting with the Russian president, because anyone who wants peace in Ukraine must also talk to Russia," said Wagenknecht. On Friday, "Spiegel," "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung," and the Russian opposition platform "The Insider," citing eyewitnesses, reported that Platzeck had traveled to Russia nine times since the end of 2022. The SPD politician told the "Tagesspiegel" that it was important not to let existing contacts break down. The question was also how the war could end and whether a strong defense capability might not also include active diplomacy at many levels.