Wagenknecht calls for clear demarcation from CDU course in Ukraine policy

With regard to the possible formation of coalitions between her BSW and the CDU in Thuringia and Saxony, Sahra Wagenknecht is calling for a differentiation from CDU leader Friedrich Merz's course on Ukraine policy. "After Friedrich Merz's appalling speech in the Bundestag this week, in which he effectively called for Germany to go to war against Russia, we can only enter into coalitions with his party if the state government clearly distances itself from such positions," the BSW national chairwoman told Der Spiegel.

In the Bundestag on Wednesday, CDU parliamentary group leader Merz called for a tougher stance against Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. He reiterated this in his newsletter at the weekend. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) should have made a clear announcement to Putin together with the heads of government of France and Great Britain, Merz wrote: "If the war terror against the civilian population does not stop within 24 hours, the range limits on the weapons supplied will be lifted. If that is not enough, Germany will deliver Taurus cruise missiles to destroy the Russian army's supply routes." Ukraine has repeatedly demanded that it be allowed to use Western weapons against targets on Russian territory in its defense campaign.

In the ARD programme "Bericht aus Berlin", Wagenknecht said that US President Joe Biden had "not lifted the range restrictions for American missiles for good reason". "And Mr. Merz is calling for something that the world's largest military power is not doing for good reason. So this is sheer madness," she criticized. If the BSW forms a coalition with Merz's party, "then of course it must be clear, also to our voters, that the state government is clearly distancing itself from such a course and setting other priorities".

In Thuringia, the BSW has recently shown itself willing to enter into coalition negotiations with the CDU and SPD - provided that an agreement is reached beforehand on the Wagenknecht party's previously controversial peace policy demands. They are to be included in the preamble of a possible coalition agreement. Talks are planned for the first half of the week, it was reported in Erfurt.