World

Russia's ever-escalating hybrid war has the EU in its crosshairs

Published

4 months ago

July 17, 2024

Russia's ever-escalating hybrid war has the EU in its crosshairs

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews.

When looking at these hostile actions individually, they might not constitute more than a nuisance on their own. Yet, collectively, these actions form a comprehensive hybrid warfare package where the boundaries are repeatedly pushed, Alexander Borum writes.

Despite an unfolding war and a continued cost-of-living crisis, life for the average European citizen is both peaceful and comfortable.

This is attested by the recently published Global Peace Index 2024, which shows that the list of the top 10 most peaceful countries remains dominated by European entries.

But scratch beneath the surface and a more sinister reality appears: a Europe engaged in a protracted and fierce hybrid war that demands our attention.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Western world has committed an unprecedented level of military and economic support to stem the tide of unbarred violence against the country.

While this support has been a crucial part of ensuring Ukrainian independence, it has also escalated Russia’s ongoing hybrid war against the West to new heights, notably targeting the European Union.

The Kremlin is not letting up

While Russia is the most prominent assailant, it does not stand alone in its anti-western efforts. It has diligently balanced its interests against those of the West, enlisting partners such as Belarus, Iran and North Korea.

By housing Russian nuclear weapons and troops and by arming and resupplying the Russian armed forces, these countries exacerbate Russian aggression. However, China remains a crucial part of the puzzle.

Its role was emphasised during the recent NATO Summit in Washington as a decisive enabler of Russian aggression in Ukraine and an active participant in the hybrid war against the transatlantic partners.

While not standing alone, Russia remains a uniquely aggressive actor, engaging in a multifaceted war against the West from the relative safety of the shadows.

After the conclusion of the recent European Parliament elections, consultancy firms identified tens of thousands of accounts spreading disinformation even as EU citizens sought to cast their ballots in an election that saw the steep rise of populist parties with pro-Vladimir Putin positions.

Beyond the elections, fake narratives such as Bugatti-gate have emerged. This one spins the story of Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Ukraine, purchasing a luxury car for €4.5m during a time of particular duress for Ukraine.

Naturally, the false story, created using deep fake techniques, fake media outlets and falsified information, was quickly debunked — but not before knee-jerk reactions shaped political discourse across Europe, at least momentarily.

Subversions go up in scale

However, where disinformation might cause disruption and instability, more sinister efforts are at play, and webs of infiltrators and intelligence operators are increasingly unravelling within the European Union.

From prominent academics in the Baltics to expat florists in Slovenia with direct links to Russian intelligence services, the situation is looking increasingly grim.

Financial entities such as Pravfond enable Russian intelligence services to fund disruptive and destabilising efforts within Europe.

Pravfond expands the scope and scale of Russia’s political warfare against Europe, with funding benefiting anti-democratic movements, political entities with pro-Russia, isolationist or protest-oriented stances, the recruitment of European assets, as well as large-scale intelligence and influence operations across continental Europe.

Alongside disruption from within, Russia and its close ally Belarus also seek to apply pressure on Europe’s external borders.

By instrumentalising migration and providing guidance, routes and supplies to migrants, Russia and Belarus have adopted a ruthless method of hybrid warfare.

By exploiting desperate people and hurling them against European borders, they fan not only the need for robust border management responses but also the flames of anti-migratory rhetoric, often stemming from political parties with attitudes conducive to Russian interests.

From assassination to sabotage, anything goes

When looking at these hostile actions individually, they might not constitute more than a nuisance on their own.

Yet, collectively, these actions form a comprehensive hybrid warfare package where the boundaries are repeatedly pushed. In recent months, Russia has made the Baltic Sea a frontline for escalating its hybrid war against the West, targeting EU member states in the region with calculated manoeuvres to provoke them.

A key tool here has been reigniting border disputes in the Gulf of Finland, along the Narva River with Estonia, and in the sea surrounding the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad by unilaterally redrawing borders that directly violate international law.

At the forefront of Russia’s escalating hybrid war against Europe has been a string of special operations conducted within the Schengen borders.

Several assassinations of political dissidents inside of Europe have occurred over the last decades of Putin’s rule in Russia, but the recent attempt on the life of Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, has opened a new frontier in attempts to subdue support for Ukraine.

Acts of sabotage have shaken Europe in recent years. As European intelligence services continue to outline an increase in Russia’s probing efforts into defence industries, sea cables and crucial infrastructure, the future will likely bring further attempts to disrupt supply lines to Ukraine through sabotage.

Above us and at sea, European air traffic and shipping are increasingly targeted by attempts to jam the GPS systems relied on for safe navigation.

An ultimate consequence of such disruption might be catastrophic incidents causing irreparable damage to the environment or significant losses of civilian lives — a stark reminder of the gravity of the situation.

Keep an eye on Ukraine

With such significant pressure on Europe, it was perhaps no surprise when the Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen noted in February that Russia would likely be in a position to test Article 5 and NATO solidarity within a three- to five-year time span.

This statement echoed the one by Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, who in January remarked that NATO should expect an attack on a member state within five to eight years, emphasising the need for unity and solidarity between partners.

With further escalations looming, one might be tempted to look towards NATO for solace.

Yet, with the recent assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump and the poor performance of President Joe Biden in his bid for re-election, NATO will likely face a stark new reality if Trump takes office in November.

With the US pursuing an increasingly isolationist policy under Trump, a pivot to the east and a track record of statements sowing distrust in the alliance’s unity, there is an increasing sense of urgency for Europe to take ownership of its security needs.

It’s crucial for Europe to do what it takes to keep Ukraine in fighting shape should the US falter, as any other path would invite disaster.

Alexander Borum is Policy Leader Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence, focusing on the European Union Common Security and Defence Policy.

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World

Paul Skenes Rookie Card Hunt Pits Auction House Against Pirates

Published

1 hour ago

November 15, 2024

Press Room

Paul Skenes Rookie Card Hunt Pits Auction House Against Pirates

The hottest bidding war in baseball right now is not over Juan Soto, but a baseball card.

On Nov. 10, Topps announced the release of a one-of-one Paul Skenes rookie debut autographed card featuring a patch worn during his first pro game. The card of the Pittsburgh Pirates phenom is available in one pack of 2024 Topps Chrome Updates.

Yet on Friday morning, the Pirates themselves sent the baseball world into a tizzy with a Willy Wonka-like offer to the lucky person who pulls the card.

In a detailed tweet, the Pirates said that in exchange for the item, they would provide two season tickets behind home plate for the next 30 years, a softball game for 30 people at PNC Park (the Pirates’ home) where players will be coached by team alumni, and a one-of-a-kind spring training package.

The spring training experience will include a meet-and-greet with Skenes, two of his autographed jerseys, a chance to take batting practice and warmups with the team and other one-of-a-kind experiences at LECOM Park, the Pirates’ spring training stadium in Bradenton, Fla.

But Ken Goldin, the founder of collectibles firm Goldin Auctions, upped the ante with an alternative offer of cold hard cash. In his quote tweet of the Pirates’ post, he said “Before anyone takes this or any deal, email me directly. @GoldinCo will sell the card for you, put your kids thru college and you can use the leftover money to buy entry into a meet and greet with Skenes if you want….”

With a nod to the Shohei Ohtani, the star of Netflix’s King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch said a deal with his firm paid off handsomely for the person who ended up with the 50/50 home run ball hit by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ star. “Just ask the last guy who turned down an offer from an MLB team how that worked out for him (Shohei 50 HR ball).”

On Oct. 23, the historic ball sold for $4.4 million after a late bidding rally ran the nearly month-long auction past midnight on the final day. The buyer was a Taiwanese investment firm, UC Capital Ltd., which plans to publicly display the ball for fans to see.

As if those bids weren’t enough, the holder of the card could also join Skenes’ girlfriend, social media star and LSU gymnast Olivia “Livvy” Dunne in her suite at PNC Park.

And if the card owner is kind enough to let him “LOOK at it for a SECOND,” late night talk show host and avowed Pirates fan Seth Meyers is offering four VIP tickets to check out Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Skenes, whom the Pirates drafted No. 1 overall out of LSU in 2023, had one of the best rookie campaigns in recent memory. The 22-year-old right-hander was named an NL Cy Young finalist, an NL Rookie of the Year finalist, an All-MLB First Team selection and the starting pitcher for the NL at this summer’s All-Star Game. In 23 starts, Skenes posted an 11-3 record with a 1.96 ERA, 170 strikeouts and a 0.95 WHIP.

World

Fire kills at least 10 people in Spanish retirement home

Published

2 hours ago

November 15, 2024

Press Room

Fire kills at least 10 people in Spanish retirement home

At least 10 people were killed after a fire broke out in a retirement home in the northern Spanish town of Villafranca de Ebro early Friday, authorities said.

The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in Aragon region, told reporters.

SPAIN SEARCHES FOR BODIES AFTER UNPRECEDENTED FLOODING CLAIMS AT LEAST 158 LIVES

All the victims were elderly people living in the Jardines de Villafranca residence, a care home for people with mental health issues, Aragon regional president Jorge Azcon told reporters.

One person was in a critical condition and another was in a serious condition, Azcon said.

Members of the criminalistics unit of the Spanish civil guard work at the nursing home that caught fire early on Friday, killing several people, according to the regional government of Aragon, in Villafranca de Ebro, Spain, Friday. (Reuters/Pablo Ibanez)

The fire started at around 5 a.m. local time, and it took about two hours for firefighters to extinguish it, a spokesperson for the regional government said.

Firefighter chief Eduardo Sanchez told reporters the fire was contained to the room where it started and that the fatalities were caused by smoke inhalation.

“The doors were closed, they prevented the fire from spreading. The tragedy could have been worse,” Azcon said after visiting the building.

Several residents were treated, mainly for smoke inhalation, mayor Volga Ramirez said.

Authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Azcon said the priority now was to transfer the residents who were not injured in the blaze to another care home in nearby Huesca.

World

Israel ramps up attacks on Lebanon as officials study US ceasefire plan

Published

3 hours ago

November 15, 2024

Press Room

Israel ramps up attacks on Lebanon as officials study US ceasefire plan

The Israeli military has carried out air raids in the suburbs of Beirut for the fourth consecutive day as Lebanese officials studied a US plan for a ceasefire.

Israeli air strikes flattened five buildings in the Lebanese capital’s southern suburbs on Friday. One of them was located near one of Beirut’s busiest traffic junctions, Tayouneh.

The Israeli military said its fighter jets attacked munitions warehouses, a headquarters and other infrastructure used by the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Reporting from Beirut, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr said the Israeli military had issued two forced evacuation orders before the attacks.

“[Residents] are forced to leave their homes only to watch the strikes come in and wonder whether or not they have a home to return to. There are no casualties because many people left the area and because of these evacuation orders,” she said.

“Human rights groups have criticised these forced evacuation orders, saying most of the time they don’t give people enough time to leave,” Khodr added.

Meanwhile, Iran-aligned Hezbollah said it fired rockets at a group of Israeli soldiers in Misgav Am and the Yiftah barracks in northern Israel.

The Lebanese armed group said in a statement on Telegram it also attacked another group of Israeli soldiers with rockets on the eastern outskirts of the Lebanese town of Markaba.

Hezbollah also said it attacked Israeli soldiers in northern Israel’s Sasa and Dishon.

Israel’s military escalated its attacks on Lebanon in late September after almost a year of cross-border hostilities with the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah in parallel with the Gaza war. It says it aims to secure the return home of tens of thousands of Israelis, forced to evacuate from northern Israel under Hezbollah fire.

Israel’s attacks on Lebanon have forced more than one million Lebanese to flee their homes, igniting a humanitarian crisis.

It has dealt Hezbollah serious blows, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah and other commanders. Hezbollah has kept up rocket attacks into Israel and its fighters have been battling Israeli troops in the south.

Ceasefire talks

Diplomacy attempting to reach a ceasefire has shown tentative signs of progress this week.

The Reuters news agency reported on Thursday that the US ambassador to Lebanon had presented a draft ceasefire proposal to Lebanon’s parliament speaker Nabih Berri, citing two senior political sources. Berri is endorsed by Hezbollah to negotiate and met the senior Iranian official Ali Larijani on Friday. The AFP news agency reported that senior Lebanese officials are reviewing the US proposal.

A senior Iranian official said on Friday that Iran would back any decision made by Lebanon in truce talks, signalling Tehran wants to see an end to the conflict.

Asked at a news conference whether he had come to Beirut to undermine the US truce plan, Larijani said, “We are not looking to sabotage anything. We are after a solution to the problems.”

“We support in all circumstances the Lebanese government. Those who are disrupting are Netanyahu and his people,” Larijani added, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

World powers have said a Lebanon ceasefire must be based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended a previous 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel. Its terms require Hezbollah to move weapons and fighters north of the Litani River, which runs some 20km (30 miles) north of the border.

Israel has demanded the freedom to attack, should Hezbollah violate any agreement – a demand that Lebanon has rejected.

In a meeting with Larijani, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged support for Lebanon’s position on implementing 1701 and called this a priority, along with halting the “Israeli aggression”, a statement from his office said.

Larijani stressed “that Iran supports any decision taken by the government, especially resolution 1701”, the statement said.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Eli Cohen, Israel’s energy minister and a member of its security cabinet, told Reuters that prospects for a ceasefire were the most promising since the conflict began.

At least 3,386 people have been killed and 14,417 wounded in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since October 2023.