For the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, German business representatives and politicians from the far-right Alternative for Germany party attended the economic forum in St. Petersburg. Markus Frohnmaier, AfD’s foreign policy spokesperson, confirmed he held talks with Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller about restarting Nord Stream and resuming gas deliveries. Polish observers reacted with alarm, warning of a new kind of danger emerging just beyond Poland’s western border.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, held under the patronage of Vladimir Putin from June 3 to 6, 2026, saw the return of German delegates for the first time since the full-scale war began. Among them were entrepreneurs and politicians from the right-wing populist AfD, which has long advocated for rebuilding ties with Moscow.
Markus Frohnmaier, the party’s spokesperson for foreign policy and deputy chair of the AfD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, announced on social media that he had met with Gazprom’s top executive. „We held a conversation at the company’s headquarters, the main topic of which was the possibility of restarting the Nord Stream gas pipelines and resuming deliveries of Russian gas,” Frohnmaier wrote. He added that „Germany is in a serious downward economic spiral,” citing high energy costs as a key factor forcing companies to relocate abroad and burdening citizens.
German politicians push for energy reset with Russia
Frohnmaier argued that Russia had been Germany’s most important supplier of gas and oil. „Therefore, all options should be back on the table, including restarting Nord Stream and resuming trade relations with Russia. Our task is to uncompromisingly place German national interests at the center of attention,” he stated.
The visit drew sharp criticism from Polish analysts. Patrycja Anna Teper of the Institute for Western Affairs commented: „AfD in Russia at the ‘economic forum’ and bam – a meeting with the head of Gazprom and talk about restarting Nord Streams. Alexei Miller is in seventh heaven.” She noted that Russia has invested in Frohnmaier for years and that his party allowed the trip, likely calculating no political cost ahead of elections in former East Germany.
Journalist Jakub Wiech characterized the development as a growing threat in a new format. „Of course, German politicians cozying up to Russia is not entirely new. But what may be new – at least in the 21st century – is the way this cooperation is being pursued, going beyond current frameworks,” he wrote.
What a German shift could mean for the European Union
Wiech pointed out that Germany holds significant influence within the European Union, but even during Angela Merkel’s era and before 2022, Berlin failed to block the amended Gas Directive applying to Nord Stream 2. „The directive’s rules ended up weaker than what the European Commission originally proposed, but the resistance of Germany and Austria was eventually broken, and the directive was passed on time,” he recalled.
He then posed a crucial question: „What if, in the case of the AfD, we are dealing with a policy of completely turning over the EU table?” The concern is that a party advocating for national interests above all could, if it gains more power, undermine the collective decision-making that has kept EU sanctions and energy policy unified against Russia.
The forum attendance and open talk of reviving Nord Stream signal a potential political shift in Germany, one that could have direct consequences for Poland’s energy security and geopolitical position. Polish experts stress that this is not merely about nostalgia for cheap Russian gas, but about a new political format where a major EU member might challenge the bloc’s common stance from within, with direct support from Moscow.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. PAP/Marcin Obara
