Kremlin Targets Germany’s Green Candidate Over Anti-Moscow Stance
Baerbock’s campaign missteps have made her vulnerable to potential Russia interference, officials say.
Annalena Baerbock, the Greens’ candidate to be chancellor of Germany, is attracting the attention of the Kremlin with her hawkish attitude to Russia and her slip-ups on the campaign trail have left her vulnerable.
Russia has identified 40-year-old Baerbock as a threat to its interests after she briefly topped the polls ahead of September’s election, according to three people familiar with the authorities’ thinking. Her opposition to completing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Germany and Russia is a particular concern. One person close to the Russian government said it would be prepared to go to great lengths to block her path to office.