This is what he really wants to achieve with the wiretapping scandal

A conversation between German Air Force officers leaked by Russia sparks discussions in the German and European political scene. It is about the theoretical possibilities of the use of German cruise missiles by Ukraine.

The intercepted recording was published last Friday by the Russian broadcaster RT. But what exactly does Vladimir Putin want to achieve with this deployment?

They are trial balloons intended to destabilize German and European politics. “But this doesn’t really work in Germany,” says Andreas Omland, an analyst at the Stockholm Center for East European Studies, when asked.

Discussions in Germany prefer to revolve around its own security channels. However: “In Ukraine, this is viewed with tension, because there are concerns that it may affect German support.”

“The Kremlin wants to strengthen the Peace Party on the left and right edges of the political spectrum in Germany. Both Sahira Wagenknecht and Björn Höcke have already commented on this,” says Russian expert Ulrich Schmid of the HSG group. “This is intended to give momentum to those votes.” In Germany, which demands a negotiated solution for Ukraine.”

According to Schmid, Vladimir Putin wants to “drive a wedge between a reluctant Germany and Ukraine’s Western allies, who prefer a bolder path.” Omland believes that the release of the recording is not necessarily intended for the West. The target could be more Russian audience.

The Russian propaganda apparatus is really exploiting the published conversation of German officers. Russian propagandist Dmitry Kiselov acted as if the German army was planning to destroy the Crimean bridge with Taurus cruise missiles. He even listed bridges in Germany that Russia could attack in case of retaliation.

According to Schmid, the Russian people should be made aware that Russia is fighting against the aggressive West in Ukraine. “The fact that Russia invaded Ukraine is intended to push it into the background.”

Depending on the surrounding area, it is difficult to assess the extent of the internal impact of such propaganda. “If there is a warning about attacks by Germany, it may also have the opposite effect. Some Russians may turn away from Vladimir Putin.”

Even if German state secrets were not revealed in the intercepted conversation, according to Schmid, the publication clearly shows: “Russian intelligence is systematically intercepting military communications of other countries.”