Putin Envoy, Germany’s AfD Prepare Talks on Resuming Russian Gas Supply

The significance lies less in any imminent supply deal than in the alignment itself: a Kremlin envoy engaging a party locked out of government but leading the polls signals Moscow is investing in Germany's political fringe rather than its current leadership. That the venue is a party outside any governing coalition limits near-term policy effect, yet it keeps Russian gas as a live campaign issue in Europe's largest economy. Whether the AfD's polling strength converts into any formal channel — or whether Berlin treats the contact as a security matter — is the open question worth watching.