AfD leader says that Vladimir Putin is right about the Deveselu shield

Gabriel Dumitrache

22 October 2026, 13:26

Current Affairs

ESDES.Pictures, Bernd Elmenthaler / imago stock&people / Profimedia

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Leader of the German AfD party, Alice Weidel, said on Wednesday, in an interview with The Economist, that the West must take Russia’s “security interests” into account and pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept peace with Vladimir Putin.

Weidel repeated arguments used by the Kremlin to justify the invasion of Ukraine. She accused NATO of failing to take Moscow’s concerns into account and claimed that nuclear-capable missile systems had been deployed in Romania, referring to the Aegis Ashore facility at Deveselu.

The claim is contradicted by the system’s characteristics. The shield at Deveselu is defensive and is intended to detect, track, and intercept ballistic missiles. It has 24 Standard Missile 3 interceptors, without explosive warheads, which destroy targets through kinetic impact, as well as radar and Aegis command-and-control systems.

The AfD leader also said that the war had affected Germany’s economy and that Ukrainian drone attacks on a country equipped with nuclear weapons were “very risky and very stupid.” In her view, Berlin should put pressure on Zelenskyy to end the conflict.

Weidel also stated that millions of Ukrainians should leave Germany after the war ends. According to her, between four and five million people would return to Ukraine. The AfD promotes restrictive immigration policies and opposes military support for Kyiv.

Context: AfD and other political groups in Germany have consistently challenged support for Ukraine, while Berlin, for its part, has called for increased pressure on Russia

A few days earlier, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul reaffirmed his support for Volodymyr Zelenskyy and called for increased pressure on Russia to resume peace negotiations, after Donald Trump called for Zelenskyy to be replaced. Meanwhile, Germany announced that it was maintaining sanctions against Russia, while British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that the United Kingdom would continue to tighten them.

Within Germany, opposition to military aid for Ukraine was also reflected politically: in Saxony-Anhalt, AfD and the left-wing BSW adopted a motion (without legal effect) calling for an end to military support. The motion was voted on the same day that the trial began in Hamburg of a former Ukrainian officer accused of involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline, while the government in Kyiv denied any involvement.

At the same time, AfD leaders attempted to promote the idea of talks with Moscow on energy matters, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz rejected requests for an agreement to import Russian diesel, reiterating that Germany and Europe must maintain pressure on Russia and tighten sanctions.