Alexei Miller, chief executive of Russian gas giant Gazprom and a long-time confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin, met Markus Frohnmaier, foreign policy spokesman for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) parliamentary group, at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.
The possibility of recommissioning the Nord Stream pipelines and resuming Russian gas supplies was the focus of talks at Gazprom's headquarters, Frohnmaier told dpa on Wednesday.
Frohnmaier is among four prominent AfD politicians attending the forum in Putin's home city. The delegation also includes Saxony AfD leader Jörg Urban, Bundestag member Steffen Kotré and AfD MEP Petr Bystron.
German companies are also participating in the event again for the first time in several years.
Affordable oil and gas supplies are important for German industry, Frohnmaier said. “Our task is to place German national interests at the centre without compromise.”
The AfD has long called for Nord Stream to be repaired and brought back into service, arguing that Germany would benefit from cheaper Russian energy.
Political opponents accuse the party of advancing Moscow's interests rather than those of Germany.
Foreign Office advised against the trip
Germany's Foreign Office said it had explicitly advised AfD representatives not to attend the forum and had informed them that the federal government did not support the trip.
A Foreign Office spokesman pointed to Russia's continuing attacks on Ukrainian civilians and said pressure on Moscow must be maintained to help bring "this criminal war of aggression to an end."
"Against this backdrop, giving the impression of normality in our relations, for example by participating in state-organized propaganda events, runs counter to the Federal Government's foreign and security policy principles," the spokesman said.
AfD defends meeting
The AfD has defended its participation. Frohnmaier said before travelling that he was aware the visit would be viewed critically but argued that dialogue remained necessary.
"However, my participation does not imply any endorsement of the war in Ukraine," he said.
Bystron and Kotré also defended the trip in comments to the weekly newspaper Die Zeit. Bystron said he wanted to stand up for German businesses that had lost market share to China because of what he described as "stupid and completely ineffective sanctions" against Russia.
Kotré said he wanted to show that there are German politicians "who are not sabre-rattling and do not view Russia as the greatest threat."
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel backed the visit, saying it was always worthwhile to exchange views and maintain contacts with all sides.
Her comments marked a contrast with remarks she made in November, when criticism centred on another conference in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi attended by Kotré and Urban. At the time, Weidel said there was considerable dissatisfaction because such trips "serve absolutely no purpose."
Over the past 18 months, the AfD has focused heavily on building ties with Washington following the re-election of US President Donald Trump. Frohnmaier has made several visits to the United States during that period.
Criticism from rival parties
Politicians from Germany's governing and opposition parties sharply criticized the St Petersburg visit.
"Putin has his back against the wall to some extent, and if he now gets this propaganda boost because business representatives and AfD politicians are grovelling to him in St Petersburg, then that is counterproductive," Jürgen Hardt, foreign policy spokesman for the conservative CDU/CSU parliamentary group, told public broadcaster ARD.
Marc Henrichmann, a CDU lawmaker who chairs the parliamentary panel overseeing Germany's intelligence services, warned that such trips posed security risks.
Russian intelligence services use events like the forum "to gather information and for recruitment," he told the Handelsblatt newspaper.
"Anyone travelling there must be aware of one thing: you won't return without being observed."
Politicians from the centre-left Social Democrats and Greens also criticized the visit.
Gas instrumentalized by Russia
Russia gradually reduced gas deliveries to Germany through Nord Stream after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and halted supplies altogether in September of that year, citing technical problems.
Weeks later, three of the four conduits that make up the Nord Stream network were damaged in underwater explosions. Germany's federal prosecutors have said the main suspects in the sabotage are Ukrainian nationals.
At the St Petersburg forum, Russia is seeking to showcase economic resilience despite slowing growth after more than four years of war and Western sanctions.
Gazprom has highlighted low gas storage levels in Europe, warning that replenishing reserves ahead of winter could prove difficult.
Russian officials have repeatedly predicted that Europe would face empty gas storage sites and shortages during winter months, though those forecasts have so far failed to materialize.
