Foreign Digest: Russian Machinations in Europe, and Georgia’s Russian-Style Law

Russian Machinations in Europe: The Russian Federation, led by the tyrannical ex-Soviet intelligence officer, Vladimir Putin, who is trying to restore the Soviet Union, is one of the most malign forces in the world, as a trio of new allegations proves. The United Nations denounced Russia for war crimes in Syria in support of the Iranian-backed terrorist-sponsoring regime of Bashar Assad against civilians rebelling against the tyrannical Assad. The United States accuses Russia of using chemical weapons in the former Soviet Republic of Ukraine, where Russia has been committing aggression since 2014. And Germany accuses Russian Federation state actors of a cyberattack against the ruling German party in 2023. The European Union condemned Russia for its cyberattacks on government institutions in Germany and the Czech Republic. Russia has murdered exiles in Germany, the United Kingdom, both members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and elsewhere. Meanwhile, Moldova confiscated $1million in funds from a group of 150 Russians who were planning to finance pro-Russian political parties. Russia maintains troops in a breakaway part of the former Soviet Republic of Moldova inhabited by ethnic Russians, against the will of Moldova. Russia typically finances political parties or candidates for elective office in Europe and interferes in European and American elections through propaganda, disinformation, stealing and publicizing information, bribery, and other means to promote its policies, disparage the governments of former Soviet Republics it seeks to control, and weaken Europe and America through exacerbating divisions and by undermining confidence in elections and in the truth. Georgia’s Russian-Style Foreign Agents Law: Despite massive protests opposing the bill, the Parliament of the former Soviet Republic of Georgia approved last week a broadly restrictive law against “foreign agents” in the style of a Russian law that can be used to curtail freedoms, including the freedom of association (if any organization is international) and freedom of the press (if the media business is foreign-owned). Under Vladimir Putin, Russia invaded Georgia in 2008, establishing puppet states in two breakaway regions and further encroaching against Georgian territory, while failing to withdraw its troops, as promised. The current Georgian Government has been pro-Russian, despite the threat from Putin, which has exacerbated fears among the Georgian people.