Magdeburg (dpa/sa) - The AfD parliamentary group leader in Saxony-Anhalt, Oliver Kirchner, has announced a statement for Tuesday on a controversial trip to Russia by several members of the state parliament. Before a session of the state parliament on Monday, Kirchner left several questions from journalists unanswered. It is currently difficult for him to answer the questions, but the trip will be discussed on Tuesday in the parliamentary group board, said Kirchner. There will be a press release afterwards.
After sharp criticism, three AfD members of the state parliament canceled their trip to Russia and Donbass in Ukraine in September. Hans-Thomas Tillschneider and Daniel Wald from Saxony-Anhalt and Christian Blex from North Rhine-Westphalia were on the road together. Blex was then excluded from the AfD parliamentary group in the Düsseldorf state parliament.
Kirchner said he wanted to speak to Tillschneider on Tuesday. The trip had been approved in advance. "As a group, we decided that these colleagues would travel down there for us. That's why the flights were paid for, of course." Blex pays for his flight himself. "Of course, we'll take care of the other things." A four-digit sum was paid, Kirchner said. He left unanswered detailed questions about the organization of the trip.
The topic will also play a role in the state parliament this week. The Greens are demanding that Parliament disapprove of the trip. "We consider it unacceptable to spend this tax money on such a trip. We expect that the AfD parliamentary group will not let the taxpayer bear the costs," said the parliamentary secretary of the Greens, Sebastian Striegel.
Representatives of various parties recently accused the AfD of siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to their own statements, the AfD party leadership was not informed about the trip and distanced itself from it. "We do not support this trip," said co-party leader Tino Chrupalla.
