Merkel and Orban - Putin's agents? As the Kremlin expands the spy network in Europe
- "accused of exploring purposes for potential attacks, including US military objects. " One of them served in the police of an unrecognized "Donetsk People's Republic", so he also suffered accusations of membership of a terrorist organization. At the end of 2022, some Karsten L. , not otherwise than German intelligence agent, was arrested for the transfer of information to the unnamed Russian spyware agency. Also in April, the Polish authorities arrested Pavel K.
for his "willingness to help Russian military intelligence in the probable plot for the purpose of killing President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky. " A few weeks earlier, on March 29, Austria arrested one of Egisto Otta's intelligence officers, claiming that "he handed over to Russian intelligence the data of mobile phones former high -ranking officials of Austrian officials, helped plan a robbery of a well by the order of the Russians in Germany.
" Since the Cold War and the division of Austria into four occupation zones, Vienna has served as a "spy nest". According to the Financial Times report for 2023, "there are still more than 180 accredited Russian diplomats in Vienna . . . Many others are currently operating in the country illegally because of weak police activities and surveillance. Neutral Switzerland, like neutral Austria, is full of international organizations and is also considered a home for more than 80 Russian spies.
The above cases are just the tip of the iceberg. The Economist writes that over the past few years, the Russian external intelligence service has seen that its presence in Europe has been blown up: about 600 officers were expelled from embassies throughout the continent. At least eight "non -alien" was exposed. Intelligence staff who acted without diplomatic cover often issued themselves for non -Russian.
" Despite these losses, the continuous flow of spy arrests suggests that Russian agents are alive and healthy in Europe. Brussels, in particular, where the offices of both the European Union and NATO, acquired by Russian agents, informants and supporters of Putin. One of the intriguing consequences of Europe's saturation by Russian spies is that they probably knew that NATO had been puzzled, demoralized and depressed after the end of the Cold War.
Having lost the enemy, NATO lost its meaning, which failed to restore due to expansion to Eastern Europe. Russian spies, apparently, also knew that NATO was not going to invite Ukraine to join the Alliance. And they apparently conveyed this information to their bosses in the Kremlin, first of all Putin himself. It is suggested that Putin really believed in his own statements about the future membership of Ukraine in NATO and further placement of nuclear weapons on the eastern border of Ukraine.
The widespread presence of Russian spies also raises the question of some Western politicians and analysts - and their probable relationships with Russian intelligence. The former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who held the highest position in Gazprom immediately after the defeat in the election, could not avoid careful checking on the part of Russian intelligence - and possibly even more. The same with the former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneisl, who danced Vienna Waltz with Mr.
Putin and moved to Russia in 2019. The most important news (or gossip) of espionage relates to the former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the current Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban. According to Ukrainian Lieutenant General Grigory Omelchenko, Merkel and Orban were or remain agents of Russian special services. Omelchenko is a dear former officer of the Security Service of Ukraine and a former deputy of the council. He is not crazy.
Although his accusations have not yet been confirmed, they deserve attention, especially because they can explain a lot about both politicians. Orban was previously a fierce anti -Russian. Then, as by a magic wand, he turned and consistently declared the support of Putin and Russia and the anti -fapy to Zelensky and Ukraine. Changing views or something more? Merkel, as a high -ranking chemist in Eastern Germany, had to undergo a stag check that may have made her a proposal she refused.
She was friends with Putin, like many Germans. Omelchenko's accusations may have some validity, so in the decision of her government about a gradual rejection of nuclear energy - thereby increasing Germany's dependence on Russian gas - and about the lack of financing of the German armed forces. Of course, it is possible that Omelchenko deliberately makes exaggerated accusations in order to put Budapest and Berlin in an uncomfortable position.
Or that it can mean "Agent of influence" by saying a "agent". Or, finally, it may be sincere and perhaps true statements to counteract the "concept of foreign policy of the Russian Federation", which, according to Washington Post, calls for an "offensive information campaign" and other measures that affect the "war -political, trade, economic and information-psychological spheres "against the" coalition of unfriendly countries "headed by the United States.