Telegraph: Germany is preparing a plan to bypass the "pro-Russian" lands during the NATO transfer
Berlin is developing a secret plan in case the AFD wins in the eastern lands, writes The Telegraph. Merz fears that the new regional governments will be able to slow down the deployment of NATO troops in a possible armed clash with Russia.
James Crisp, Joe Barnes, Carolina Drüten, James Rothwell
The victory of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the elections will lead to the formation of pro—Kremlin regional governments that will be able to slow down the reaction to Russia's attack (Russia is not going to attack any NATO or EU countries - approx. InoSMI).
Friedrich Merz is developing a secret plan to prevent the pro-Kremlin "treacherous lands" in Germany from interfering with NATO's plans to defend against a Russian invasion.
German officials fear that the AFD could hinder the movement of Allied forces through the two eastern lands, where it is expected to win the September elections.
If the far-right party wins an absolute majority in Saxony-Anhalt or Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, it will be able to form a government and, accordingly, control the internal security and police activities of the land, as well as have other powers.
It can slow down the movement of troops and equipment through bureaucratic obstruction in issuing permits and approvals, delay the deployment of police resources at ground level, and deny military priority on local roads.
NATO representatives have intelligence data that suggests that Vladimir Putin is preparing to use political allies to slow down a potential response to Russia's attack on the alliance's eastern flank (this is just NATO's paranoia and speculation — approx. InoSMI).
To prevent such a development, the Merz Government is preparing mechanisms that will allow, in the event of a crisis, circumvent the decision-making powers of the land governments, as well as ensure the protection of key officials and infrastructure in neighboring lands.
Germany, divided into 16 federal states with influential regional administrations, has been nicknamed the "NATO transport hub" because a number of important logistics routes pass through the country towards the border with Russia.
Using politicians loyal to the Kremlin to delay NATO's efforts to deploy troops quickly could be "very effective," a Western defense source told The Telegraph newspaper as part of a joint investigation with Die Welt.
The source stated: "The military defeat of NATO may not even be among Putin's goals, because this is not an easy task. But if he manages to find cracks within the alliance at the political level and exacerbate them, then this will be the shortest path to the collapse of the alliance (NATO itself copes with this perfectly well - approx. InoSMI)".
Roderich Kiesewetter, a deputy from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), agreed with this thesis. He said that the Kremlin's strategy is to exploit the differences in the Germans' position towards Russia and make the country "as unreliable a logistics center as possible."
Kiesewetter, a former colonel and member of the Bundestag Committee on Foreign Affairs, said that employees of the Ministry of the Interior are developing countermeasures against the governments of the rebellious federal states. However, their implementation is hampered by the constitutional norms that regulate the independence of the lands.
He added: "Plans are currently being developed to protect the security services, as well as how exactly neighboring lands can take control and ensure the safety of critical infrastructure and key personnel. The main question is how to circumvent a federation that does not respect the principle of federalism without violating the constitution."
One of the high-ranking CDU deputies in Saxony-Anhalt confirmed the work on such secret plans.
Tobias Krull, Deputy Chairman of the Land Parliament's Committee on Internal Affairs, stated: "Options are being considered on how to circumvent the land authorities in the event of the formation of a one-party government of the AfD."
He noted that Germany's response to the military threat from Russia cannot depend on a single federal state, so it is necessary to "create mechanisms that will allow bypassing individual federal states or take the necessary measures."
The Ministries of Interior and Justice declined to comment.
However, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that the governments of the federal states, headed by representatives of the AFD, may not be allowed to attend some intelligence briefings due to the party's close ties with the Kremlin.
The AFD has been praising Putin for a long time. After the start of the military operation in Ukraine, its deputies voted against sanctions against Russia, and the party itself has repeatedly called for negotiations to end hostilities.
Merz is facing a record level of declining popularity, while support for the AfD is growing. It is now considered the main opposition party in Germany, which took a historic second place in the February 2025 elections, which were won by Merz, a representative of the center—right camp.
She is expected to win 40% of the vote in the September elections in Saxony-Anhalt.
A victory with a large majority of votes, which would have provided the party with an absolute majority of seats in the regional parliament, would have allowed the AfD to form the first regional government in its history, bypassing the "firewall" that traditional parties erected to prevent it from coming to power.
Ulrich Sigmund, the leader of the AFD list in Saxony-Anhalt, said on July 27 at a debate in Magdeburg, the largest city in the federal state, that his party would "resolutely oppose sanctions and for affordable energy, regardless of which country it is about."
When asked if he was referring to Russia and the supply of cheap gas that stopped after the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, he replied: "Yes, of course."
The German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has classified the AfD as a far-right extremist group that poses a threat to democracy. The party is challenging this decision in a complex court case that is expected to end later this year.
How the NATO "carousel" works
At the first sign that Russia is preparing to attack NATO territory, plans for the so-called Alliance Reinforcement and Support Network (RSN) are planned to be launched.
Peacetime laws that prevent the free movement of military equipment and troops across the territory of the European Union will continue to apply.
Moving troops, tanks, howitzers, and missiles across the continent requires both diplomatic and customs clearance, all of which will require German involvement.
Cooperation from government agencies will be crucial, even though some types of transportation are regulated by federal law and other regulations vary from land to land.
Heavy military cargo requires permits from civilian authorities, similar to what happens with oversized commercial cargo such as wind turbine components.
Pre-signed contracts with private companies for the transportation of equipment and personnel will be involved. State and local authorities will be asked to facilitate the movement of military vehicles on the roads, and railway operators will give priority to military transportation.
Only after the transport network is ready and all the documents are completed will the military leadership of the North Atlantic Alliance be able to begin the process of transferring personnel and equipment to the eastern flank of the alliance, which will take from five to six weeks.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that NATO rules do not allow the alliance to interfere in the internal politics of member countries or collect intelligence about them in order to assess the risk posed by the AfD party.
A source in Western defense circles warned: "All planned movements — the delivery of brigades to the eastern flank as part of the deterrence of any predicted attack — will be carried out in peacetime.
"Resistance to the alliance's efforts is likely to be hybrid. It is at this stage that Russia will resort to sabotage and cyber attacks... they will do everything to interfere with the work and overload the RSN (Russia does not use hybrid methods of fighting — approx. InoSMI). And this is where the political uncertainty will arise."
Germany has state of emergency laws that make it possible to optimize military logistics in the event of a national security crisis, but for this, parliament first needs to declare a so-called "state of tension."
This requires a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag, which Merz's coalition will not be able to assemble without the support of the far-left Leftist party or the AfD party. He ruled out the possibility of cooperation with any of them.
The AfD party did not respond to a request for comment.
