Germany “is neither safe nor reliable”, says former British Defense Secretary. Berlin warns against “joining Putin’s divisive game”.
(DW) The UK, in particular, has harshly criticized Germany following the leak of a conversation between high-ranking military officials about whether or not to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.
“We know that Germany is heavily infiltrated by Russian intelligence, so this just shows that they are neither safe nor reliable,” former British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told the Times of London.
Until August 2023, Wallace, who is a Conservative, organized the British government’s arms shipments to Ukraine.
Last Friday, a conversation lasting more than 38 minutes between German military officers was published on Russian propaganda channels. The officers had used Webex conferencing software instead of a secure military platform. One of the participants allegedly joined the conversation from Singapore, using a smartphone.
“Don’t play into Putin’s hands”
Two days later, when the conversation was already being exploited for propaganda purposes on Russian state television, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius confirmed that information had been leaked.
“This means that we have to be prepared for any form of war, including a hybrid war, a war of information and disinformation, because this is a very clear example of that,” said Pistorius at the Defense Ministry in Berlin.
On Monday, the German government warned against playing into the hands of Putin’s disinformation campaigns. “It’s another attempt of the many we’ve seen to divide society in Germany and Europe. We mustn’t play into Putin’s hands, which is why, in these cases, we must be very careful about what is said,” said the government’s deputy spokesman, Wolfgang Büchner.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby expressed the same view, saying that this was an attempt by the Russians to “try to sow discord, show division and make it appear that the West is not unified”.
In Germany, there is no doubt that Russia is waging a hybrid war, which includes disinformation and division. This includes “creating or intensifying political antagonisms”, says security expert Nico Lange, who advises the Munich Security Conference.
The German military now needs to explain why it acted so negligently, and among experts the question arises: is the Bundeswehr prepared for this hybrid war waged by Moscow?
Scholz is “focused on his political survival”
Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, former chairman of the British Parliament’s Defense Committee, asked in the House of Commons why basic security protocols were not followed. He said that Germany should hold “a serious debate” about how this could have happened.
Later, speaking to the BBC broadcaster, he added that, “given the intensity with which Russia spies on Germany and other countries, it’s hard for Moscow to have learned anything it didn’t already know from the leaked conversation with the German military.
Ellwood spared no criticism of German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who has ruled out sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine. According to him, the leaked conversation “reveals a tension between the high-ranking German military, who want to see the Taurus sent, and the German chancellor, who seems increasingly focused on his political survival rather than what is best for the continent”.
“Hopelessly naive”
Security expert James Davis, from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, notes that Germany’s NATO allies should not be surprised that Russia is spying on Germany.
Likewise, he continues, they shouldn’t be surprised that the Germans are surprised – “and that says it all about how Germany is seen within the military alliance,” he adds.
For him, the case only confirms the widespread view that “Berlin has neglected German military capabilities and is hopelessly naïve when it comes to Moscow’s capabilities and intentions”.
Germany’s military secret service is investigating how the leak happened. Pistorius ruled out dismissing the military personnel who took part in the leaked conversation before the end of the investigation.
A spokesman for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the leak is a matter for German investigation and that the UK will continue to work with Germany to support Ukraine.
*** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***