Key facts
- Europe's far-right parties are divided on their relationship with Russia.
- Marine Le Pen's National Rally and Nigel Farage's Reform UK are distancing themselves from past pro-Putin stances.
- Germany's AfD is campaigning for an end to military aid to Ukraine and sanctions on Russia.
- The AfD is currently leading German polls.
- Marine Le Pen is a frontrunner for the French presidential election in April.
Europe's far-right parties are experiencing a growing division regarding their stance on Vladimir Putin's Russia, a topic that once united them. As nationalist and right-wing populist parties gain traction across Western Europe, many are re-evaluating their past sympathies for Moscow, particularly in light of Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and alleged hybrid attacks against the continent. While parties like France's National Rally (RN) and the U.K.'s Reform UK are moderating their rhetoric on Russia and adopting a more conditional approach to supporting Ukraine, aiming to broaden their voter appeal, others, such as Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD), are moving in the opposite direction. The AfD, currently the largest and most extreme nationalist party in Europe, is campaigning for a halt to military and financial aid to Ukraine and the lifting of sanctions against Russia. This divergence in approach is occurring at a critical juncture, with key European elections on the horizon.