German police raids target group suspected of far-right plot to overthrow government
Around 3,000 police officers have carried out raids across Germany to stop an alleged plot by a far-right terrorist group to overthrow the government.
Federal prosecutors said 25 suspected members and supporters of the Reichsburger group – the so-called Reich Citizens movement – were detained during the raids in 11 of the country’s 16 states early on Wednesday.
Thousands of German police officers were involved in the raids across the country this morning
Twenty-two German citizens were detained on suspicion of “membership in a terrorist organisation”, and three others, including a Russian citizen, are suspected of supporting the group.
The Reichsburger movement brings together several far-right groups whose aim is to get rid of the current government and replace it with their own.
According to the authorities members of the group have been preparing to “carry out actions based on their ideology” since November 2021.
Armed police are reported to have stormed up to 100 properties across Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Hesse, Lower Saxony, and Thuringia, as well as in the Austrian town of Kitzbuehel and the Italian city of Perugia.
A 71-year-old, who goes by the name Prince Heinrich XIII, and who is thought to come from the long-standing German aristocratic family of House Ruess, is believed to be central to the group’s activities and was among those arrested.
Prosecutors said the group planned to install him as Germany’s new leader.
According to German news site, Bild, he had contacted Russian officials with the aim of negotiating a new order in the country, and the group had also selected who would be in charge of various ministries within its new government.
Prince Heinrich XIII was allegedly assisted in this by a Russian woman, Vitalia B.
“According to current investigations there is no indication however that the persons contacted responded positively to his request,” prosecutors said.
The Russian embassy in Berlin denied having links to the far-right group, while the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “This appears to be a German internal problem.”
He added: “There can be no question of any Russian interference.”
Officers lead Prince Heinrich XIII to a police vehicle after searches at a house. Pic:DPA/AP
The current head of the House of Reuss-Greiz, Prince Heinrich XIV Reuss of Greiz, earlier this year distanced himself from his relative.
In an interview with the German news site OTZ in August, he described him as a “confused old man” who had not been in contact with the family for 14 years.
Meanwhile, German interior minister Nancy Faese said the raids showed the country “fighting back against the enemies of democracy”.
In a post on Twitter, she wrote: “The investigations give us a glimpse into the abyss of a terrorist threat by Reichsburger.
“The suspected terrorist organisation uncovered today is – according to the state of the investigation – driven by violent overthrow fantasies and conspiracy ideologies.
“The further investigations will provide a clear picture of how far the plans for overthrow had already progressed.
“Militant Reichsburger are united by their hatred of democracy, of our state and of people who stand up for our community.
“That is why we are taking action against such endeavours with all the consequences of the rule of law. We will continue to take this hard line.”
Der Spiegel reported that the barracks of Germany’s special forces unit the KSK in the southwestern town of Calw was one of the locations raided.
The unit has in the past been scrutinised over alleged far-right involvement by some soldiers.
A female judge – identified by prosecutors as Birgit M-W – was also detained during the raids. She is said to have links with the far-right Alternative for Germany party.
Known by its German acronym AfD, the party has increasingly come under scrutiny by German security services due to its ties with extremists.
The White House is considering inviting Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska, according to reports in the US.
The reports come a day after Washington and Moscow confirmed the US and Russian presidents will meet on Friday to discuss bringing about an end to the war in Ukraine.
A senior US official and three people briefed on internal discussions have told Sky News’ US partner network NBC News that the Trump administration is now considering inviting the Ukrainian president to the summit.
“It’s being discussed,” one of the people briefed on the talks was quoted as saying.
The sources said a visit by Mr Zelenskyy has not been finalised – and it is unclear whether the Ukrainian leader will be in Alaska for the summit.
However, the senior administration official said it is “absolutely” possible.
“Everyone is very hopeful that would happen,” the official said.
Asked whether the US had officially invited Mr Zelenskyy to Alaska, a senior White House official said: “The President remains open to a trilateral summit with both leaders. Right now, the White House is focusing on planning the bilateral meeting requested by President Putin.”
Mr Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday before the Alaska summit was confirmed that “we’re getting very close to a deal” that would end the war.
The US president added there will be “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both sides”.
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US diplomacy ‘totally amateur’
Zelenskyy suggests he’s unwilling to give up territory
However, the Ukrainian president warned on Saturday that allowing Russia to keep territory it has occupied in Ukraine will result in another invasion.
He said allowing Mr Putin to annex Crimea in 2014 didn’t prevent Russia forces from occupying more parts of Ukraine during the current conflict.
Mr Zelenskyy added: “Now, Putin wants to be forgiven for seizing the south of our Kherson region, Zaporizhzhia, the entire territory of Luhansk and Donetsk regions, and Crimea. We will not allow this second attempt to partition Ukraine.
“Knowing Russia – where there is a second, there will be a third.”
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Zelenskyy: Ukraine will not give land to ‘occupier’
NATO allies say Ukraine must be involved in negotiations
The reports Mr Zelenksyy could be invited to Alaska come as Ukraine and several NATO allies have reportedly been privately concerned Mr Trump might agree to Mr Putin’s proposals for ending the war without taking their positions into account.
In a joint statement on Saturday night, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and the European Commission said Ukraine’s future cannot be decided without Kyiv.
They said: “Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities.
“The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.
“We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force.
“The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations.”
Read analysis:
Lifting sanctions a ‘massive victory for Moscow’
Stakes high for Alaska summit as Zelenskyy faces nightmare deal
Why Trump will have a lot of ice to break at Alaska summit
From left: Volodymr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Pics: AP
UK hosts Ukrainian officials ahead of summit
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy had earlier hosted a meeting of top Ukrainian officials and European national security advisers alongside US vice-president JD Vance on Saturday ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting.
The meeting took place at the foreign secretary’s official country retreat, Chevening, in Kent, where Mr Vance is staying at the start of a UK holiday.
After the meeting, Mr Lammy said: “The UK’s support for Ukraine remains ironclad as we continue working towards a just and lasting peace.”
From left: Rustem Umerov, David Lammy, JD Vance and Andriy Yermak. Pic: X/David Lammy
It is understood that the meeting had been called at Washington’s request, and included representatives from the US, Ukraine, France, Germany, Italy, Finland and Poland as well as the UK.
Ukraine was represented by Rustem Umerov, secretary of the country’s national security and defence council, and the head of Mr Zelensky’s office, Andriy Yermak.
In a post on social media, Mr Yermak said the allies’ positions were “clear” that “a reliable, lasting peace is only possible with Ukraine at the negotiating table, with full respect for our sovereignty and without recognising the occupation”.
Ahead of the meeting at Chevening, Sir Keir discussed the talks in a call with Mr Zelenskyy on Saturday and also spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said Sir Keir and Mr Macron “discussed the latest developments in Ukraine, reiterating their unwavering support for President Zelenskyy and to securing a just and lasting peace for the Ukrainian people”.
The location of Alaska is unexpected.
Although close to Russia geographically – less than three miles away at the narrowest point – it’s a very long way from neutral ground.
The expectation was they would meet somewhere in the middle. Saudi Arabia perhaps, or the United Arab Emirates. But no, Vladimir Putin will be travelling to Donald Trump’s backyard.
Follow latest: Zelenskyy says Ukraine will not give up land
It’ll be the first time the Russian president has visited the US since September 2015, when he spoke at the UN General Assembly. Barack Obama was in the White House. How times have changed a decade on.
The US is not a member of the International Criminal Court, so there’s no threat of arrest for Vladimir Putin.
But to allow his visit to happen, the US Treasury Department will presumably have to lift sanctions on the Kremlin leader, as it did when his investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev flew to Washington in April.
And I think that points to one reason why Putin would agree to a summit in Alaska.
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Can Trump end the war in Ukraine?
Read more:
Analysis: Trump will have a lot of ice to break
Explainer: What would a Ukraine ceasefire involve?
Instead of imposing sanctions on Russia, as Trump had threatened in recent days, the US would be removing one. Even if only temporary, it would be hugely symbolic and a massive victory for Moscow.
The American leader might think he owns the optics – the peace-making president ordering a belligerent aggressor to travel to his home turf – but the visuals more than work for Putin too.
Shunned by the West since his invasion, this would signal an emphatic end to his international isolation.
Donald Trump has said a ceasefire deal is close. The details are still unclear but there are reports it could involve Ukraine surrendering territory, something Volodymyr Zelenskyy has always adamantly opposed.
Either way, Putin will have what he wants – the chance to carve up his neighbour without Kyiv being at the table.
And that’s another reason why Putin would agree to a summit, regardless of location. Because it represents a real possibility of achieving his goals.
It’s not just about territory for Russia. It also wants permanent neutrality for Ukraine and limits to its armed forces – part of a geopolitical strategy to prevent NATO expansion.
In recent months, despite building US pressure, Moscow has shown no intention of stopping the war until those demands are met.
It may be that Vladimir Putin thinks a summit with Donald Trump offers the best chance of securing them.
World
It’s been four years since a US president met Putin – and Trump will have a lot of ice to break
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will meet where their countries brush shoulders.
But why Alaska and why now?
A US-Russia summit in Alaska is geography as metaphor and message.
Alaska physically bridges both countries across the polar expanse.
Follow latest: Ukraine war live updates
Choosing this location signals strategic parity – the US and Russian leaders face to face in a place where their interests literally meet.
Alaska has surged in geopolitical importance due to its untapped fossil fuels.
Trump has aggressively pushed for more control in the Arctic, plans for Greenland and oil access.
Holding talks there centres the conversation where global energy and territorial stakes are high, and the US president thrives on spectacle.
Reuters file pic
A dramatic summit in the rugged frontier of Alaska plays into his flair for the theatrical.
It is brand Trump – a stage that frames him as bold, unorthodox and in command.
It was 2021 when a US president last came face-to-face with a Russian president.
The leaders of the two countries haven’t met since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Pic: AP
But Trump is in touch with all sides – Russia, Ukraine and European leaders – and says they all, including Putin, want “to see peace”.
He’s even talking up the potential shape of any deal and how it might involve the “swapping of territory”.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly insisted he will not concede territory annexed by Russia.
Moscow has sent the White House a list of demands in return for a ceasefire.
Read more:
Russia reacts to Trump talks plan
JD Vance raises concerns about free speech in UK
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‘I’m not against meeting Zelenskyy’
Trump is attempting to secure buy-in from Zelenskyy and other European leaders.
He styles himself as “peacemaker-in-chief” and claims credit for ending six wars since he returned to office 200 days ago.
There’s much ice to break if he’s to secure a coveted seventh one in Alaska.
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