Putin’s shadow across Europe grows as German far right wins

The Alternative for Germany’s record election victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday marked a milestone not just for the far right but for Europe’s tilt toward Vladimir Putin. The anti-immigration party known by its German acronym, AfD, has openly sympathized with the Russian president’s attempt to batter Ukraine into submission, even as he stepped up his aggression toward the European Union. Days before the vote, Germany blamed Russia for a failed drone attack at an airport in Leipzig last month.

Pressed about the connection between the AfD and Russia, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the result would clearly please the Kremlin.