WATCH full Zakharova interview before ‘far right’ magazine ban
RT has published the full 80-minute video of an interview that Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova gave to the German magazine Compact.
This week, the German government banned the publication and began a police investigation into its associates, after accusing it of fueling “far-right extremism.” Zakharova claims that the crackdown could have been a response to the interview.
Compact correspondent Hansjorg Mueller asked the spokeswoman which “red lines” Berlin might cross in Ukraine to trigger direct retaliation by Russia. He also wondered if Moscow could withdraw from the Two Plus Four Agreement – the multilateral treaty that allowed the reunification of Germany in 1990.
The German government did not mention either Russia or the Zakharova interview in its announcement of the crackdown on Compact. Instead, it accused the outlet of undermining the constitutional order in the country with its content.
Some German media linked the move with the surging popularity of the anti-migration, nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Mueller served in the German parliament in 2017-2021 as a member of the AfD faction.
