In the wake of “Spiegel” research on Russian-financed sabotage actions, politicians from various parties have warned of external influence on the upcoming German federal election. “The incident shows: Russia is waging a hybrid war against Europe. It’s little surprising that it always targets and campaigns against the Greens” said Green party leader Franziska Brantner to the Spiegel.
“We stand for democracy, freedom and justice – values that authoritarian states and, above all, Russia reject and combat” Brantner said. Moscow, she claimed, aims to manipulate the German federal election. “Russia wants to split our society and cause us the maximum damage” Brantner said.
She called for the protection of critical infrastructure in the country to be improved, including the establishment of a joint situation center for the intelligence services in Germany, where the services, from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution to the Federal Intelligence Service, could coordinate and exchange information.
CDU security expert Roderich Kiesewetter told the Spiegel that Russian influence was increasing. “Besides disinformation, Russia is also known for broader sabotage, as we see in other countries. That’s why the sabotage of dozens of cars fits into Russia’s modus operandi” Kiesewetter said to the Spiegel. The Greens, he said, were in the focus because they “stand very clearly on the side of Ukraine and against the dependencies on Russia.”
SPD interior policy expert Sebastian Hartmann called for better cooperation among authorities. “What initially appears as a mere local series of property damage can reveal itself as a targeted and coordinated operation of foreign powers when the local findings are combined” Hartmann said to the Spiegel.