Russia today achieves better results in the covert war against Europe than in the open conflict with Ukraine. The front line between these two countries has become a chaotic scene where drones neutralize each other, while long-range operations continue to undermine the rival’s economy and morale.
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The last few hours have seen more lethal attacks. In addition to taking human lives, drones from both sides took out another Wildberries warehouse, the Russian Amazon, and a beautiful book market in Kyiv. The image distributed yesterday by AP showing bookseller Alexander Bahlai bitterly lamenting the destruction of his books is yet another example of the excellent photojournalism present in this war.
Russia, as we said, finds it easier to advance in the hybrid war against Europe than on conventional battlefields. Incidents without clear authorship but bearing the suspicious mark of the Kremlin proliferate with impunity. The attack recorded at Leipzig airport against a Ukrainian plane represents a scale jump that has set off all alarms. Vladimir Putin may be increasingly testing the response capacity of a divided Europe leaning towards the far right in a process in which, significantly, Russia’s influence is also perceptible, capable of affecting the public opinion of its rivals through social networks.
In this context, it is understandable that Europe modulates its reaction to these attacks and considers that they are below the threshold of what is supposed to be a war: openly declaring Moscow’s authorship would force decisive actions and the conflict would enter an unprecedented dimension.
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The past shows us the risk of not wanting to offend. In the Civil War, the international community looked the other way while Hitler and Mussolini helped Franco. The Führer’s first atrocities in his geographical area of influence were also overlooked.
But, what else can the most fragmented Europe of recent decades do if not temper? True, if it does not act, Putin will grow bolder but, if it gathers courage and acts, it will expose its vulnerability like never before at a time when, moreover, it is not clear that Washington supports the good side of history.
