Transcripts For DW To 20240704

Increasingly targeted by russia secret service. Its how dangerous is this shadow works and what can be done to counter on to the point we ask rushes hybrid more fear the real threat to the west. The welcome to this week. To the point, im probably going to guess its good to have you with us, and these are todays guess thats the issue is an expert on russia at germanys cub foundation. A lady got months, which is a former german ambassador to moscow and was also the Vice President of the German Federal Intelligence Service be indeed from 2004 to 2007. And who am i going to, i think, or is my dw colleagues from ukraine, currently working with the w as in Russian Service, invited to all of you. Thank you very much for being with us today, and id like to start with you. Leslie, how does this hybrid warfare work and why isnt the public really aware that these attacks are constantly happening . Well, its basically the concept of hybrid welfare that you dont initially notice that its happening. Hyper suassa can be anything that helps the security or the interest of one country and destroys the wants of another country. And that means this information campaigns and financing elections, migration flows of us, weve seen in beller roof and before so on. If those were attacks are not visible with the naked eye initially, but they do have a very big impact. And at least in the long term impact that crane has certainly felt already home on. Uh, you know, that all these attacks have been going on for years now and you are you creating and, but you live here in germany. Do you see a difference on how these types of attacks are perceived in those countries . Well, of course there are differences. So, but there are also similarities just to remind you, speaking about why i type in ukraine, had its 1st shopping experience. I would say, while typing, where russia was suspected to be behind, it was in the year 2000, 2001 on the print and president of the time around at the coach ma was a y, a tapped a talking about getting a journalist and a position john list under johns was killed that were processed in the country. But the result was that the pregnant president was discredited in the west and do kind of movement to what the west was stopped halted. And in the 2003 ukraine saw russian hybrid war and on the island of tools love, which is between mainland, russia and ukraine in academia. Russia was trying to build a kind of way, a land lent him bridges at the boston bridge, but to uh, to connect by land uh those 2 parts. And this is seen as the beginning of what the latest or, and well a lot are related to the crime in bridge the german general. So for the looked off of were talking about how you crank or destroyed it was german of course missiles, taurus. So its a very long story, but the problem is, as youve just said, you dont see it at once. And it took a long time for a claim to understand that it was actually at a hybrid. What was russia when we later talk, maybe about the media because media is, is the key to the hybrid boyfriend. We certainly see that it took a long time for you kind of the certainly also taking a long time for germany. Apparently we to got restaurants, not only known for performing these type of the attacks, but also for executing them extremely well are the Russian Secret Services more capable, more sophisticated than their western counterparts . First, i think we do have excellent Intelligence Services, and our country is a call for a very closely and theyre there to protect all democracies. Second, the russian Intelligence Services were there to undermine or democracies and to protect them. Ive talked to see a huge, very aggressive there on the present, but theyre not always good. They too often get caught with a hand in the cookie jar. We think of the case is like, uh, the Russian Service is sending to spies and to, to the u. K tried to assassinate an opponent, was a means of foxy warfare to printer for all those, for the internet to this type of who they were, that the rest of the secret services were behind it. If we think of the as a nation of, of a church and leader here in building and in broad daylight. Again, it took a very short time to establish. It was a us and secret service spent them not always good. And we do have good means at hand. I think to come to that to do. However, their impression is that some of the western countries and especially germany, is a bit bonded with the so called taurus leaks where a particularly good example of precious hybrid warfare. And recent times with far reaching consequences even days after being published, they continue to cause controversy within the German Government and in public debate. An exclusively a recording of a conversation between high ranking German Air Force offices that talking about taurus, cruise missiles, which have a long range and tremendous destructive power. Specifically about possibly sending these items to ukraine and about potential targets. For example, the coach bridge, which connects crime, you know, with russia and just seen by ukraine as a symbol of russian occupation. The taurus revelations are a major embarrassment. Full button. Thats alice is, its an individual game by truth and you dont, and we cannot, the full, for its mission often lines. The recording was published on social media by magazine test team on the, on the head of the russian state, broad costs, the russia. Today, the kremlin is response on nato colleagues are extremely guilty. You will have to see how they explained just to that wrote and coming in to the is the west to catalyst and its defense against russian hybrid attacks. It certainly seems. So now weve got reports suggest that at least one of the German Military officers was in using a secure line. Is this more russian intelligence or more german failure to assess the risk . Well, whatever it was, we wouldnt be much better and much more successful if we simply obliged to the rules we have imposed upon all cells to use means of, of the Digital World of social media. Without protection, of course, is an extremely dangerous that the Digital World is a dream come true for intelligence surfaces like calling. If you use lots f or, or email or signal to whoever or zoom, its like using a megaphone in the city. So we must be more aware of whats, whats happening. We must build awareness in our countries, and we must stop constantly discussing the issues the russian side, throwing at us. They want to keep us busy by discussing issues of what have we done wrong, or if its like, and then we guilty of the russian aggression when i was invested or must go out. Sometimes said the impression it was us when they did crimea. So, and that is part of russian the hybrid warfare, to keep the other side busy with discussing an array of issues. What we must do is focus on what is actually going on. There is a russian impression that its a russian aggression against ukraine. And it is a rusnick, aggression against us, against our security on liberty of freedom in our countries. And we must build out the public discussion over and again to that point and not constantly discuss what the russians would like us to discuss. However, the russians are very successful in placing topics in the agenda, and in this case, lets do the problem with these types of leaks specifically, is that they are true. Its not fixed and use, its not this information. The conversations actually happened. How longer will these, the western countries and allies, to cases like this as well . I think the biggest problem that is, that for russia, a success is already spreading doubts. You know, unit in the west is the biggest weapon we have against russia. And we now see, you know, that the, the, our partners reacted well, not very amused about what was happening. The trust in germany is going down with this. And thats already a successful russia. At the cost of time we once a year, a play a policy game and last year we did play a game that focused on hyper to tax on your pin infrastructure. And the 1st thing that our country teams, which are Decision Makers from European Countries talked about was european cohesion. And it went up in the air. It was really hard to, to keep strays with this unit to you. And i think about us, that is the most important thing we have to focus on, and that is whats put in will always try to attack 1st. But do you think this is a germany elite problem or it could, this also happened to friends or the case a, or even the us. Its definitely happening happening everywhere. But i think at this moment its working very well in germany. And those narratives also connect to other narrative. So you have a, you know, distrust in the system. You will see those narrative everything very well. Also with people who were against cold with vic, seems like theres, theres very clear combinations between groups that just dont trust what they called the official narrative, what we would call the truth. Um, so yeah, this plays into it. So theres, yeah, very easy grounds for those narrative to, to grow and to stay in in durham. And of course, its also important to note if there is a specific goal on one of these attacks of women, we know that russia is trying to prevent germany from delivering those stores missiles to ukraine. How big an impact at the specific attacks have on that goal. As well, um, it was a huge blow i would say to the, to the whole attempts of the west and especially the of german as a leading country in europe to help your crime. Because it, as youve said, it undermines the trust and we had so much such big cases. But um, other issues when, when germanys awareness was, was questioned. For example, the case of the a, b, n, d m, a officer whos not on trial in building for working for russia. And of course, those cases, cases and up, i think its important to understand what youve said. Gemini has been a favorite russian playground for decades because of the ties between the 2 countries, because the germans were to a certain point blind towards russia. So i think they couldnt see certain things. They maybe didnt want to see them because it would mean breaking of, of, of ties, which was decades long, economic ties, political ties, cultural di so people didnt want to do that. And maybe one more point i think is important. And that, that story was taurus, we still dont know all the answers, but what we see is the most fia. Why was those offices doing such things . I think part of the answer is because there is this whole feeling here in germany. We, i know its a tool with russia, which is correct. Ive been talking to you on a hill who is the one of the best russia expressing the west and was a former advisor to the us administrations. And she said one very interesting thing, which is, which is obvious, but you have to speak it out. She said, we are not as old as russia, but russia. Is that what with us at the hybrid walk and this is something, not everyone understands here in germany. I think after this, taurus issue, things will change. This will help. So theres been talk about russian attacking germany in one way or another and the west for a long time. Good. A guy you were there in 2014. When rushing, made it to 28, where the investment in moscow, why do you think in action was the response . At least thats the perception. And will this change this to me . In retrospect, history always seems to be linear, but only in retrospect, if it would be linear, everybody could tell us today what china is heading, what china will be doing 5 years from now and how we should be here. We dont know. So in a given situation, you always have to deal with numerous options. You have to respond, which happens then was strength and clear answer while at the same time look for solutions that could be possible to settled. A given issue relating to pushing to speak about the narrative of history didnt become president in december 1999 in order to invade ukraine on february 24th 2022. As he is a case of the officer. And he himself has said once like a cage, be always k, u b, can you be office has a not trained a strategist, they are trained as technical operational activities. And thats what he is good as good that he has always sort of 5 options at the table. And he will proceed with the one where he gets through, where he gets away with. And hell get away with where we dont take a clear stance and give a clear answer to what he is doing. And where are we in our discussion back home, dont over and again establish what the whole situation really is about where we fall into his traps. Its a trap of doubt. The spreading is, lets be right, the se, and particularly its a trap. A few. Hes building that. Russia has 3 traditional export goods which are successful, fossil fuels, arms, and fear. Russia is exporting for you. They are rooting the country inside with fear and refreshing, that trying to create fear in our countries to sort of influence our discourse, our discussion, make people afraid, and our response to what is happening in ukraine and as an attack against us is led to often drop by our logics, we must think in the logic of the other side, what are they up to and where therefore also a sore key could be found out of the given situation. The problem is certainly complex and complex are the solutions, assessing a hybrid more is difficult, its never officially declared, and it happens as weve heard, underground and as unnoticed as possible. Lets have a closer look at the most important activities of the Russian Secret Services in their hybrid warfare. A brick freezing spell, he is all in full months, a secret service classic. Theyre also religious traits is like halston l in the German Federal Intelligence Service. He is set to have post on confidential information to the Russian Secret Service when it comes to sabotage, submarine cables and other critical infrastructure, particularly vulnerable, which the example of the north street and gas pipeline shows will start season institutions such as the e u, hollomans and the german boom, this talk of being targeted by cyber attacks. The communications happen into set to them secret data obtained using trojans. Election propaganda is in full swing, the european elections will be held in june and a half to the real fee is that pollution could use this information to weeks. The targeted influence, how come the west counts of hootons co vote tools . Thats of course the 1000000. 00 question. Im throwing it to you. Leslie, what can be done . I think the most important part is education. People need to be aware of whats happening and preparation. This happening with the nature at the last summit there was emphasized that, you know, sign up cyber warfare hybrid the tax would be included in the an article 5. This isnt easy, its not always easy to prove where those attacks came from. Although it might be obvious who meant by benefit, but you know, you can, you have to prove Something Like this before calling article 5. But i think of just to explain to are the all, just, just in case of the article that says that if one nato country is attacked, its at war with all of nato country. Yes. So the others will, will stand on that side and does especially relevant for countries like the politics which are very close to the russian border. But also to us, its happening. Its happening to us every day. And we dont know when Something Big might be coming. So i think preparing for this very close cooperation with our allies is vital for this. And as we see a potential jump presidency coming back and we should be doing that within due and within our european fall spaces of, of cooperation. Especially right now is unity as important. But when you know that your train is at a full own war with west or right now, what are some examples of successful strategies that can be taken even by all the western allies to counter the hybrid work . Well, i think that um, the Ukrainian Cyber defense is a very good example of a ukraine and success because that works potations that russia might who to crying in the cyber a very, very hot this didnt happen. I think the result is the do kind prepared for that and i think the west is not the at the ready for, for the challenge at the moment. So we havent seen maybe major um cyber attacks, but they still could come. And um, the example of that wire tapping of the windows were officers high ranking officers is assigned to not everyone is aware of the danger that is there. Um i would like to say that um, in the field of media we are still under pad. I think because, and you can was also under pad and brush right next time. Yeah. It took your crank 6 months to kick russian tv channels out of the networks 6 months after the invaders. Okay. And was not ready for that. And its also a problem for germany. We dont have um some, some russian channels are blocked but not every one of them. So you can still watch russian television. And we have a huge rush and russian speaking population in germany, the german possible. Its watching russian television, watching russian propaganda and we dont know exactly whats going to be done about them. So how can be better informed them and, and, and not let them be used against the german state. In cases like, um, that story was the, the young go these in germany a few years ago when the russian propaganda try and destroy unrest in germany. So such cases would come again. So the question of course is how does germany counter that in an institutional level as well . We know where to go to germany, of course is doing things. Um is it enough so, and is it in line with a liberal democracy to say perform a tax like the rest of the tax this week and then the other side exempted that area . We are well for very good reasons. Were not ready to deal was exactly the same means to come to investments, right. So on the other hand, we must realize that for example, germany is a country is changing tremendously with a huge tank. And were sort of turning course slowly. We come a long wait, and now we have the 2nd most important fly, a supply of arms to ukraine, doing more per capita than the United States venue in denmark and others even do more per capita. And one thing that is extremely important, i think, is to have more self confidence, confidence into the supremacy of our system and our solutions. Because we all supreme liberal democracies are able to change. They have an open discourse, we can select a new government, we can change course, a talk receives a stuck with their solutions and we see it in the case of russia that its sort of narrowing down more and more and is just as one autocrat leading his country into the f, as in the long run, the system con function is taken his economy into a war economy, the spending, the National Reserve of the country. Hes losing income from oil and gas if used to be 50 percent of the state budgets know 28 percent is spending 40 percent of his budget on his warfare. And he is afraid of reactions from his own people. I mean, how weak is a regime that arrests people where they flowers to commemorate and assassinated critic. So lets have more self confidence. We are able to withstand this onslaught which happens in, in many ways, through hybrid wall for etc. But were able to withstand how about that confidence here in germany . Leslie would you agree that its lacking in that it should be more as some people even say that germans are not really aware of the risks that they are into right now. As i would agree with us, i think many people are not aware of that in politics Decision Making as well and in society. And i think its important to note that its not only about whats happening in a crate and its not on need this information about like with rest uh, words, crane related topics. Its anything. Its basically anything that will bring us, you know, in a discourse that is more fighting, then you know, united docs. And then i think thats very important to note. And i would like to add to, to agree to just point that i think, yes we, we do have a ways to, to deal with, with whats happening in ukraine. Thats our superior because of our direct democratic background. But i think we have to remember that were right now in a world where we have to stand up for those values. And if we dont do that, and we dont do that in a very many a way, we will lose that leveretts. And yeah, i think there it goes far beyond the borders of the crane arissa and but that, that plays into it as well. And i think that is also something that were not aware of enough at this moment. The ability to change is very important, but human ukrainians have complained many times about the inaction and long reaction times of western allies. Whats the perspective there on the possibility to prepare and to react to whats going on in countries that need discussion and the need due process . Well, you can learn from ukraine of course now, but um for you. Okay. And its in regard for me too late to be a good example. Um, but um, just just what, so lets maybe look at some other things that are happening and that could happen also in germany. Look at, look, look back at the United States, the president ial, comparing wind rush. I licked the information from the Democratic Party to the media to the world, trying to undermine the democratic president ial candidate. This is hybrid warfare i would prepare for such on the deck now in germany. Im not sure, but we should be and such things happen all over the world to is much broader than just to crime. So russia is a, sees itself in a hybrid well with the west was bust him countries, especially the eastern and central central europe. But now in germany, especially, and this is, this is why they, they did adult, the tribes to undermine the relationship between germany, france and u. K. As the major, dont know, still ukraine. They knew that there was some tensions before. They didnt have to do that because the chancellor schultz actually said, said we would not deliver taras missiles through grade if you had gave his reasons. So there was no, no reason, absolutely for russia to needs that. But they did it. Why . I think that they wanted just to undermine the relationship within nato. Yes. On to mind, the german, the trust in germany. Yes. I do think were heading into the right direction with that. Did it work or do you still see cohesion video . Basically, were heading into the right direction to europe in union is a very strong institution, a very close alliance. Weve built in on the successes over the years. We must become better in a joint and uni song. For an in security policy, we must undertake efforts in that sense. And as a country, we must prioritize the topics and the issues. What is important security . Its education, its fucking Climate Change and its economic competitiveness. And that is something the government and politics must overall communicate more. And if we do that, then we can focus more on the real threats. We are dealing with unity as the main response of the 3 of you is required to face these challenges. Thats all that we have time for this week. Thank you so much for watching. Remember, you can participate in the discussion any time. And by joining us on youtube, the name, you know, it is dw use for youll find this and all our other shows. Thank you so much for watching. Im going to guess till next time. Take care of the loading away when its 40 degrees celsius in the shade can be deadly during times of time and change. I asked for her as well, was the most difficult part of their job uniformly. They spoke about shes being the most difficult part of their jobs. How do rising temperatures change in fennel, heat in 15 minutes on the w. P. Pains hassle, pennies, bees and man. 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