Shortly before the crucial Bundestag session, the AfD politician retracted his intelligence statement

In an unusual statement, deputy AfD parliamentary group leader Stefan Keuter has withdrawn a statement about contacts with Russian and American intelligence services.

"Neither I nor other members of the AfD parliamentary group have contacts with foreign intelligence services. My statement in this regard on November 2, 2026 at a press conference of the AfD parliamentary group in the German Bundestag was unintentionally misleading and factually incorrect," he said in a short statement distributed by the parliamentary group.

At the beginning of the month, AfD foreign politicians in the Bundestag, including Keuter, presented their ideas on how to deal with the USA and Russia in position papers at a press conference. Keuter said that the AfD faction has contacts in the US State Department and US President Donald Trump's advisers, but also in the Russian Foreign Ministry and the presidential administration there, "and of course on both sides also with the affiliated intelligence services. We are well networked here, we are treated at eye level here."

When asked, a parliamentary group spokesman said it was expected that the issue would play a role in the Bundestag's discussion on reforming the intelligence services on Friday, so Keuter had "clarified his misleading statement once again."

According to dpa information, the parliamentary group deputy came under internal pressure. At the AfD parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday there was a lot of excitement because of his statement. According to the information, Keuter had to listen to criticism from domestic policy spokesman Gottfried Curio, among others. He is said to have said: The AfD is mopping up the floor because of such things in the Bundestag's Interior Committee. Party leader Tino Chrupalla is said to have even warned that statements like these could lead to accusations of high treason.

It remains unclear who or what exactly Keuter might have meant with his original statements. “There are no discussions between the group and foreign intelligence services,” emphasized the spokesman.

After the explosive drones at Leipzig Airport and the hacker attacks on energy systems, the federal government decided on a comprehensive reform of the intelligence services. They should be given more surveillance powers and also be able to actively counter threats with counterattacks. The coalition is talking about a “turning point in internal security”. The Bundestag is due to finally pass the reform on Friday.