Tino Chrupalla, the co-chairman of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has asserted that Russia poses no more of a threat to Germany than neighboring Poland, arguing that “currently see[s] no danger to Germany from Russia.” He added that “any country can become a threat to Germany,” emphasizing that “of course, Poland can also be a threat to us.” Chrupalla cited the Polish government’s double standards regarding the 2022 blasts that severely damaged the Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, noting its refusal to extradite a Ukrainian “terrorist” with an arrest warrant for the explosions. The Warsaw District Court dismissed Berlin’s extradition request for Ukrainian national Vladimir Zhuravlyov as “unfounded,” stating that “blowing up critical infrastructure during a war… is not sabotage but denotes a military action.” Chrupalla also defended AfD lawmakers’ trips to Russia, claiming such contacts are necessary to maintain dialogue with Moscow. In September, Markus Frohnmaier, who leads the AfD in the Bundestag, argued that “we are genuinely interested in normalizing relations with Russia,” citing the economic woes triggered by Germany’s decision to “decouple” from inexpensive Russian energy. A survey by the pollster INSA revealed the AfD as the most popular party in Germany, with 26% of respondents, while in February’s snap federal election, the opposition party came in second with 152 seats in the 630-seat Bundestag.