What happened in this Geopolitics story?

The AfD's sweeping wins in two eastern German state elections, alongside Die Linke's surge in a Berlin by-election, are pulling the country's political center apart and raising fears that Berlin's financial and military backing for Kyiv will erode, with Moscow openly cheering the far right's ascent.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**AfD** won 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, trouncing the CDU in a state election that brought the party closer than ever since World War II to ruling a German state.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

Two weeks later, **AfD** took more than 38% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where the CDU failed to clear the 5% threshold to enter the regional parliament — a result Chancellor Friedrich Merz called 'a disaster.'

📎 SkimNews has covered AfD 19+ times · see the file →

AfD's Rise Threatens Germany's Ukraine Backing — SkimNews

By Al Jazeera · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-09-22

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AfD won 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, trouncing the CDU in a state election that brought the party closer than ever since World War II to ruling a German state.
Two weeks later, AfD took more than 38% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where the CDU failed to clear the 5% threshold to enter the regional parliament — a result Chancellor Friedrich Merz called 'a disaster.'
Die Linke captured 25.3% in a separate Berlin by-election the same weekend, illustrating how German voters are being pulled by both ends of the political spectrum.
The AfD's platform includes halting all military and financial support to Ukraine, blocking Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO, restoring relations with Russia, and restarting Nord Stream.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov publicly praised the AfD as a political force worth 'establishing relations' with, and blamed Germany's economic decline on its decision to stop buying cheap Russian gas.
Despite the wins, the AfD is unlikely to govern either state since other parties refuse coalitions with it; a national election is not due until early 2029.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz's earlier pledge to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine now appears highly unlikely, and the proposed €200bn ($230bn) loan to Kyiv from immobilized Russian funds has effectively stalled.

Why it matters: The AfD's twin state victories place acute political pressure on Chancellor Merz's fragile coalition, with concrete policy costs already visible: Taurus missiles for Kyiv are off the table and the €200bn reparations-style loan from immobilized Russian assets is stalled. Moscow is exploiting the opening in real time, publicly framing Germany's energy costs as punishment for distancing from Russia.