04:14Former co-chair of the Left Sahra Wagenknecht condemned the 'sheer madness' of Germany getting into an arms race with Russia, as she addressed supporters ahead of the Brandenburg election on Wednesday.
"We have gradually become more and more a party to the war in Ukraine, and of course, this is a danger for our country," said the leader of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW). "The Ukrainian ambassador, now he wanted to shut me up."
"People in Ukraine, the men, some of them are voting with their feet by trying to flee because they no longer want to sacrifice their lives in this cursed war," she continued. "Weapons will not end this war. And if you want to help Ukraine, then you have to conduct peace negotiations.”
"To tell us that if we don't arm ourselves even more, Putin will be standing in front of the Brandenburg Gate tomorrow. That is sheer madness," she claimed. "No, we don't need a new arms race for our security. Instead, we are already very, very heavily armed, and we need to talk about disarmament again.”
On migration, she said that the "simple reality is that a country can only take in as many people as it can integrate" and called for investment in young people and skills.
In recent elections in Saxony and Thuringia, BSW won 12 percent and 15.8 percent respectively.
"I hope that the election in Brandenburg will once again send a very, very strong signal for peace against US missiles, for a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine," Wagenknecht added.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly backed military support for Ukraine although has dodged calls to supply long-range missiles for strikes deep inside Russia, an issue currently dividing allies. Moscow claims it could lead to war with NATO.
Scholz also recently called for a 'migration crackdown', with new checks at Germany's land borders. Opponents condemned the 'end of Schengen' and claimed the move was to stem the rise of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) - which came first in Thuringia and a close second in Saxony.
The Brandenburg elections take place on Sunday, September 22, with polls suggesting the AfD could win over a quarter of the vote and beat Scholz's own SPD into second place. BSW is on around 15 percent, similar to the Christian Democrats.
'Sheer madness!' - Wagenknecht condemns arms race with Russia, calls for Brandenburg elections to send 'strong signal for peace'
Former co-chair of the Left Sahra Wagenknecht condemned the 'sheer madness' of Germany getting into an arms race with Russia, as she addressed supporters ahead of the Brandenburg election on Wednesday.
"We have gradually become more and more a party to the war in Ukraine, and of course, this is a danger for our country," said the leader of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW). "The Ukrainian ambassador, now he wanted to shut me up."
"People in Ukraine, the men, some of them are voting with their feet by trying to flee because they no longer want to sacrifice their lives in this cursed war," she continued. "Weapons will not end this war. And if you want to help Ukraine, then you have to conduct peace negotiations.”
"To tell us that if we don't arm ourselves even more, Putin will be standing in front of the Brandenburg Gate tomorrow. That is sheer madness," she claimed. "No, we don't need a new arms race for our security. Instead, we are already very, very heavily armed, and we need to talk about disarmament again.”
On migration, she said that the "simple reality is that a country can only take in as many people as it can integrate" and called for investment in young people and skills.
In recent elections in Saxony and Thuringia, BSW won 12 percent and 15.8 percent respectively.
"I hope that the election in Brandenburg will once again send a very, very strong signal for peace against US missiles, for a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine," Wagenknecht added.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly backed military support for Ukraine although has dodged calls to supply long-range missiles for strikes deep inside Russia, an issue currently dividing allies. Moscow claims it could lead to war with NATO.
Scholz also recently called for a 'migration crackdown', with new checks at Germany's land borders. Opponents condemned the 'end of Schengen' and claimed the move was to stem the rise of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) - which came first in Thuringia and a close second in Saxony.
The Brandenburg elections take place on Sunday, September 22, with polls suggesting the AfD could win over a quarter of the vote and beat Scholz's own SPD into second place. BSW is on around 15 percent, similar to the Christian Democrats.
Former co-chair of the Left Sahra Wagenknecht condemned the 'sheer madness' of Germany getting into an arms race with Russia, as she addressed supporters ahead of the Brandenburg election on Wednesday.
"We have gradually become more and more a party to the war in Ukraine, and of course, this is a danger for our country," said the leader of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW). "The Ukrainian ambassador, now he wanted to shut me up."
"People in Ukraine, the men, some of them are voting with their feet by trying to flee because they no longer want to sacrifice their lives in this cursed war," she continued. "Weapons will not end this war. And if you want to help Ukraine, then you have to conduct peace negotiations.”
"To tell us that if we don't arm ourselves even more, Putin will be standing in front of the Brandenburg Gate tomorrow. That is sheer madness," she claimed. "No, we don't need a new arms race for our security. Instead, we are already very, very heavily armed, and we need to talk about disarmament again.”
On migration, she said that the "simple reality is that a country can only take in as many people as it can integrate" and called for investment in young people and skills.
In recent elections in Saxony and Thuringia, BSW won 12 percent and 15.8 percent respectively.
"I hope that the election in Brandenburg will once again send a very, very strong signal for peace against US missiles, for a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine," Wagenknecht added.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly backed military support for Ukraine although has dodged calls to supply long-range missiles for strikes deep inside Russia, an issue currently dividing allies. Moscow claims it could lead to war with NATO.
Scholz also recently called for a 'migration crackdown', with new checks at Germany's land borders. Opponents condemned the 'end of Schengen' and claimed the move was to stem the rise of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) - which came first in Thuringia and a close second in Saxony.
The Brandenburg elections take place on Sunday, September 22, with polls suggesting the AfD could win over a quarter of the vote and beat Scholz's own SPD into second place. BSW is on around 15 percent, similar to the Christian Democrats.