Germany seeking scapegoat over Nord Stream attack — Russian envoy

On 10 August 2026, a Russian envoy said Germany is seeking a scapegoat over the Nord Stream attack and is likely to respond to the blasts with only formal measures. Putin's special representative explained the popularity of the AfD in Germany, and Galuzin said there were no official talks with Germany on Ukraine in Baku. Russia's financial watchdog said the Yabloko party received money through third parties from the US and Germany.

In German domestic politics, an Insa poll put the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt at 42 percent, with the CDU falling, and another poll showed the AfD nearly twice as strong as the CDU there. An SPD group called for a special party congress in autumn, and Frei confirmed the firewall against the AfD. A court found that AfD membership can lead to the loss of a weapons licence, and Ramelow called for cooperation between the CDU and the Left party.