The magazine Der Spiegel reported that German MPs attended a birthday celebration for Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Russian Embassy in Berlin.

Andreas Silberzack, leader of the parliamentary group of the Free Democratic Party, described the actions of these politicians as “irresponsible,” while Guido Höer, leader of the Christian Democratic parliamentary group, stated that part of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) parliamentary group has finally abandoned the foundations of the free and democratic system.

According to the magazine, German Bundestag members Thomas Tilschneider, Florian Schröder, and Frank Otto Lisurek attended the celebration.

Oliver Kirchner, co-chairman of the AfD in parliament, said he was informed about the event and did not object to it.

Earlier, the AfD parliamentary group expelled politician Robert Risch, a member of the Hamburg state parliament, for participating in a conference of the International Alliance Against Globalization in St. Petersburg. The local party leadership stated that this participation “contradicted the party’s principles.”

Risch gave a speech at the conference, speaking about the “need for peace in Europe” and expressing concern about the escalation of war in Europe.

Representatives of four regional parties—the Christian Democratic Union, the Social Democratic Party, The Left, and the Greens—had previously proposed strict measures against this politician due to his visit.

On October 7, the magazine Compact held a press conference at the Russian Embassy in Berlin, attended by Ambassador Sergey Nechayev, members of the diplomatic corps, and journalists, during which the “Putin Patriot” silver medal was presented to honor Vladimir Putin. German citizens had previously purchased the entire batch of these medals.

Jürgen Elsässer, editor-in-chief and media officer of the magazine, confirmed that this presentation symbolizes the desire of all peace-loving Germans for friendly relations between the two countries. Elsässer explained that they place great hopes on Putin, who is considered, according to the editor, one of the last bastions defending traditional European culture, and who succeeded in restoring Russia after “devastating years of humiliation and exploitation by foreign powers, making it stable, sovereign, and prosperous.”