SEE: Germany accuses Putin of trying to destabilize the country through wiretapping leaks
The Kremlin described these secret talks as a clear example of “the direct participation of the countries of the so-called collective West in the conflict over Ukraine,” said government spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
As a result, on Monday the 4th, the German ambassador in Moscow, Alexander Lambsdorff, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry to provide explanations on the case.
Germany has since confirmed that the conversation was conducted by senior air force military commanders, but Putin's government has been accused of using the episode to “destabilize” the country.
“It is simply a matter of destabilizing and damaging the unity of the country with this recording,” said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
A day earlier, Chancellor Olaf Scholz had promised a “thorough” investigation of the case.
In his press conference on Monday the 4th, Peskov also referred to this and suggested two scenarios: that it was a state policy or that the Bundeswehr was acting alone.
“It remains to be seen whether the Bundeswehr will do this on its own initiative. “So the question is how controllable the Bundeswehr is and to what extent Mr. Scholz controls everything, or whether this is part of German state policy,” commented the spokesman.
The conversations leaked by Moscow refer to a possible attack on the Kerch Bridge, which connects the Crimean peninsula with Russia.
– Strategy of ambiguity –
This new peak in tensions between Russia and a Western country over the war with Ukraine comes a few days after a controversy erupted due to statements in which French President Emmanuel Macron openly discussed the possibility of sending NATO troops to the site let. in support of Kiev.
Although both the French government and the main members of the military alliance quickly ruled out this option, which would mean direct participation in the conflict, Russia did not hesitate to warn that such a decision could trigger a larger-scale conflict without this being the case a nuclear scenario would be ruled out.
Since Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin has tried to maintain the message that this “special military operation” is the way to protect its territory from the Western threat.
For novelist, historian and international political analyst Rodrigo Murillo, this leak would be along the same lines.
“I think Russia is bringing it up now to complement Macron's words to support its thesis that not only France but also Germany would think about escalating the conflict. That is, the European Union is taking an aggressive stance and, from this point of view, Russia is a victim. “All of this helps support Putin’s explanation of the conflict,” comments Murillo trade.
However, the expert also does not rule out that both Macron's message and the intercepted German military conversation are part of a much larger Western plan aimed at changing the tone of the conversation with Moscow.
“What emerges between the lines is a European position of strategic ambiguity. Today, the European military complex has decided that trust in the North American ally is no longer what it was before. Given the election prospects, it is likely that we will have the United States that will not enter the European defense umbrella to curb Putin's expansionism. On the contrary, if Donald Trump is elected, they will enter to end the conflict as quickly as possible . Even if that means giving in to some of Putin's demands. “This concept of strategic ambiguity is aimed at ensuring that the Russians begin to consider that the Europeans can fight directly without US support,” says the expert.
Macron's comments prompted Putin to threaten a possible nuclear conflict if the West decided to intervene directly in the war between Ukraine and Russia.
– war drums –
With regard to the special case of the German army and Peskov's thesis of a possible parallel leadership between the ranks, Murillo explains that this corresponds to a peculiarity that the German armed forces have had since the Second World War.
“Germany is the only European country whose armed forces share the epic of both sides of the Second World War. It is estimated that German forces in the west are most heavily penetrated by the Russians. Today there are two sides in the German Wehrmacht: the traditional one with a Prussian past and a dark part of the Third Reich, but there is also one that is more inclined to the Red Army and the epic of the liberation of Germany by the Soviet Union. , Explain.
“I have no doubt that there is a strong group within the German armed forces that is trying to restore the German military tradition, and given Russian weakness, these soldiers could have a revanchist spirit.” This can be very dangerous for the stability of Europe. “Scholz points out that this small extremist group that still exists is under control,” adds Murillo, referring to the Chancellor’s concern that the case should be thoroughly investigated.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised on Saturday to thoroughly investigate the military conversation intercepted by Moscow.
/ FILIP SINGER
On Monday the 4th, Berlin quickly hinted that the leak reflected the German government's intentions to start a war against Russia. For Murillo, this episode would not be serious enough to go beyond diplomacy; However, there are also other factors that could contribute to the war eventually spreading.
“I don’t think there will be consequences beyond the rhetoric. Putin is responding to the European strategy of ambiguity by threatening to escalate the conflict even further. However, hatred or resentment against Russia is widespread in all countries occupied during the Cold War, such as the Baltic countries, Poland or Hungary. In all these societies there is a great revanchist spirit against Russia. And that is very dangerous because if this speech turns out to be correct, the chances of a war with Russia are much higher,” says Murillo.
The expert is also concerned about the impact that the internal problems that European nations have faced in recent years could have, since for many governments the resolution of these societal discussions could be a sign of regional unity in the face of a common enemy.
“Even if the European heads of state and government rule out this new outbreak and Chancellor Scholz sanctions someone responsible, that will not change the fact that there is already strategic ambiguity in Europe.” The interpretation has prevailed that Putin only sees a position of strength and the Europeans have begun to modify his speech so that he thinks twice before continuing. I fear that European states are so plagued by internal problems that they cannot solve, and to avoid discussion about them, many governments seem to resort to a kind of European nationalism to hide what they cannot solve. The West will not retreat at the rhetorical level, but will continue to use the language of strategic ambiguity. “I don't rule out sending soldiers to Ukraine, but I doubt that Russia will respond militarily because it is not capable of doing so,” he reflects.