Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance's Surge: A New Political Force in Germany?

Kathrin Ruck's fears about the war in Ukraine highlight the rise of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, gaining ground in eastern Germany with promises to halt weapon shipments to Kyiv. The party's social conservatism and left-wing economics are reshaping political discourse, though mainstream parties remain steadfast in their support for Ukraine.

Trains laden with battle tanks passing her window have awakened dark fears for Kathrin Ruck, who will vote for a party that vows to end the war in Ukraine by halting Germany's weapons shipments to Kyiv.

"I'm scared that one day this war will be directed against Germany," said the legal secretary, 50, from Sonneberg in Thuringia, a region once occupied by the Soviet army as part of communist East Germany. "That's no problem for Russia."

Though there's no indication the tanks she saw were heading to Ukraine, such fears have pushed the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance from a standing start a few months ago to second or third place in polls ahead of state parliament elections this Sunday in eastern German states Thuringia and Saxony. Even if it wins, it is unlikely to deliver on its promise.

(With inputs from agencies.)