Saxony-Anhalt votes to end arms supplies to Ukraine and lift Russia sanctions

The resolution, titled “Peace Talks Instead of Expanding the War in Ukraine,” passed with votes from lawmakers from the far-right AfD and far-left BSW parties. The Christian Democratic Union, Social Democratic Party, Greens, and Left Party voted against it.

The resolution’s authors said sanctions against Moscow, weapons deliveries and financial support for Kyiv had failed to produce results. They argued that supplying additional weapons would only prolong the war and increase the risk of its expansion.

The state government would be instructed to use the Bundesrat, Germany’s upper house of parliament, to demand an immediate cease-fire, negotiations with Russia, the lifting of sanctions and the restoration of economic ties. In the long term, the resolution says, Ukraine should become a neutral country.

Saxony-Anhalt Gov. Sven Schulze of the Christian Democratic Union criticized the initiative. He noted that the resolution did not mention Russian aggression, even though Russia shells Ukrainian cities daily. Schulze said the AfD and BSW wanted to deprive Ukraine of the ability to defend itself. The state government will decide how to proceed after further discussion.

Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, called the proposal “the height of absurdity” before the vote. “You are taking weapons away from the person defending himself — and in doing so, helping the murderer,” the diplomat told newspapers belonging to the Funke media group.

The state parliament’s resolution is not binding on Germany’s federal government, which determines the country’s policy on aid to Ukraine.

In the Sept. 6 election for the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, the AfD won a decisive victory with 43.8% of the vote but failed to secure a single-party majority.