Russia will use all means to destroy the West, Czech intelligence warns

At a conference on Russian influence in Europe, Czech Military Police Chief Otakar Foltýn confirmed Russia’s threat. [Shutterstock/Desrumaux Guillaume]

Russia is a purely criminal state that threatens to destroy NATO and the Western community using all means necessary, director of the Security Information Service, Michal Koudelka, has said.

Two weeks ago, thousands of Czechs marched to protest rising living costs partly caused by the war in Ukraine, calling on the country to reconsider its relations with the European Union, NATO and the UN.

“Russia has branded us as its enemy. And Russia wants to destroy its enemy, that is us, NATO and the Western community,” Koudelka said.

“And to do this, it will use all means, all possibilities it has,” he stressed, adding that disinformation is one of the very powerful means Russia uses.

At a conference on Russian influence in Europe Czech Military Police Chief Otakar Foltýn confirmed Russia’s threat, saying it is a criminal state.

“The Russian doctrine is one of permanent conflict,” said Foltýn, drawing comparisons to Nazi Germany. The Russian Federation is run by purely criminal structures and has a purely criminal dimension, he said, noting that Czechia is currently facing the worst security situation in its modern history.

According to Koudelka, Russia is disrupting western democracies by making it clear that reaching an agreement with Russia on energy will be essential as supplies will be insufficient this winter. At the same time, he said Russia wants people to believe that sanctions are more damaging to Europeans and that governments prioritise helping Ukrainian refugees over their own people.

“One of the biggest risks in terms of the Russian Federation’s activities is trying to disrupt the united action of member states against Russia,” he said, noting that there could be bilateral cooperation in the form of raw material supplies at reduced prices, for example.

(Aneta Zachová | EURACTIV.cz)

Subscribe to our newsletters

Subscribe