After revelations about Russian connections, Alexandra Sasha steps down as EU candidate. Alexandra Sasha has chosen to withdraw as an EU candidate after revelations from B.T. about her connections to Russia. The leader of the Venstre party (Right Party), Troels Lund Poulsen, and lead candidate for the EU elections, Morten Løkkegaard, have reacted to her decision. Morten Løkkegaard stated to B.T. that he believes it is a wise decision for Sasha to step down based on the new information. He points out the challenges she has faced and believes it is best for her to withdraw from the candidacy. Likewise, Troels Lund Poulsen supports the decision and emphasizes that Sasha has always expressed support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people’s fight for freedom to Venstre. He explains that Sasha herself feels that her personal story now overshadows the party’s election campaign and policy, and therefore she has chosen to withdraw from politics. Poulsen stated in a written comment that he understands her decision and considers it to be wise.
A few days ago, Morten Løkkegaard participated in a campaign video on Venstre’s Instagram, where he encouraged voters to vote for Sasha. However, he does not wish to comment on the revelations about her connections to a pro-Russian network and their potential influence. Sasha has previously been a representative and board member of the European Russian Forum’s youth organization and has attended several meetings organized by Tatjana Ždanoka, a Member of the European Parliament with previous connections to the Russian intelligence service FSB. Additionally, it has emerged that Sasha has met with Boris Titov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. When asked about his recommendation of Sasha as a candidate, Løkkegaard stated that he supports all Venstre’s candidates, as they have been chosen democratically. He reiterated that he finds it wise for Sasha to step down based on the new information.
Alexandra Sasha announced her decision on Facebook, where she denies the claims that her campaign was funded by Russian funds or the state. She describes the false claims as extremely difficult to endure and mentions that she has received threats, hate messages, and racist statements, as well as experienced extensive vandalism against her campaign. Sasha emphasizes that she has never hidden her roots and sees it as an advantage for the political debate.