On "Markus Lanz", AfD leader Alice Weidel caused a heated discussion. She denied Selenskyj's legitimacy and defended the term "beggar president". Presenter Markus Lanz was stunned.
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- Alice Weidel criticized the Ukrainian president on "Markus Lanz" and backed Donald Trump.
- She defended the term "beggar president" and questioned Zelensky's desire for peace.
- Presenter Markus Lanz reacted with clear objections and interrupted Weidel several times.
During an appearance on the ZDF talk show "Markus Lanz", AfD leader Alice Weidel caused a strong reaction with controversial statements about the war in Ukraine. She clearly sided with President Donald Trump and sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj.
Weidel took the view that Trump had opened the door for peace negotiations with his commitment, while Selensky rejected this path. "The question is: do we want war or peace? And I think the clear answer is that we want peace," explained the AfD politician, questioning Selenskyj's stance.
Later in the conversation, Weidel picked up on a phrase used by her party colleague Tino Chrupalla, who had previously referred to the Ukrainian president as a "beggar president".
"You are an intelligent woman"
When asked by Markus Lanz whether she supported this choice of words, Weidel replied: "Yes, you can say that. Selenskyj went around the houses for three years and really begged for money." The moderator's reaction was sharp: "He represents a country that was brutally attacked!"
The debate became particularly heated when it came to Zelenskyi's willingness to make peace.
Weidel claimed that the Ukrainian president was not interested in a negotiated solution, to which Lanz firmly objected: "No, stop! He didn't want the deal, he didn't want the blackmail!" The discussion led to a loud exchange of blows between the presenter and the AfD leader.
It was also about the elections. Weidel says that Selenskyj is "illegitimate in power" and does not hold elections. Lanz responded: "You know that elections are currently impossible to hold. You are an intelligent woman, Ms. Weidel - I wonder where such statements come from."
The two protagonists never reached an agreement during the course of the evening.