Тайный звонок Путину из НАТО | Секретный «общак» Кремля в США| Почему в РФ не как в Сербии

Summary

The presenter discusses diplomacy, Russia’s domestic repression, cybercrime, and alleged Kremlin-linked financial networks.

• Putin’s calls with Finland and Norway: The presenter says the calls were likely coordinated with Ukraine and European partners, and may have helped prepare for a European proposal at a meeting in Abu Dhabi. He views Finland’s experience with a ceasefire along a front line as relevant. However, he doubts the calls signal an imminent peace deal. In his assessment, Putin wants to continue the war through the winter and is waiting to see the results of elections in Europe and the United States. He expects serious negotiations, if they happen, later in the year.

• Humanitarian truce in Oleshky: The presenter welcomes an agreement to address the plight of residents trapped in the besieged settlement. He says the Kremlin had been open to discussing the issue before Melania Trump’s public appeal, following earlier involvement by the Pope. He cautions against treating this limited humanitarian arrangement as a path to a wider peace deal: Putin’s territorial demands and the question of security guarantees remain unresolved.

• Mobile internet restrictions in Moscow: The presenter says mobile internet was cut off around the Garden Ring for three days amid fears of drone attacks, describing this as a typical response by Russian security services. He argues that the attack demonstrated the Kremlin’s inability to fully protect even Moscow, despite propaganda efforts to portray the incident as a reason the war must continue.

• Serbia, Hungary, and Russia: Comparing political changes in Serbia and Hungary with Russia, the presenter argues that Serbia and Hungary had electoral competition and some meaningful vote-counting, unlike Russia’s highly authoritarian system. Their ties to the European Union also constrained their leaders: using force to remain in power could have carried serious economic and political costs. He says Putin faces fewer such constraints because China supports his regime and provides important technology and components for Russia’s war effort.

• North Korean cryptocurrency theft: The presenter discusses a reported theft of more than $6 billion from Binance attributed to North Korean hackers, noting that some of the funds were reportedly frozen. He says Russia has hacker groups but is unlikely to pursue theft on a comparable scale. The proceeds would be small relative to oil and gas revenues, and overtly criminal activity would damage Russia’s standing with countries whose support it seeks. He also argues that Russia cannot seal itself off from the internet as North Korea has without further damaging its technological capacity.

• Closure of Novaya Gazeta: The presenter expresses regret that the publication has been shut down. He interprets the closure as evidence of the growing influence of the FSB’s Second Service, which he describes as a political-police unit that favors bans and closures over the more selective repression previously associated with the Kremlin. He says the newspaper had been increasingly boxed in by restrictions, criminal cases, and funding obstacles, and hopes it may return after Putin.

• Alleged Kremlin-linked assets and a U.S. gas-terminal project: The presenter says reports of a project involving Novatek, people connected to Putin and Trump, and Middle Eastern monarchies merit further investigation. He stresses that Novatek’s financing role has not been established in the material discussed. More broadly, he alleges that Putin’s circle holds money through networks of companies and nominally independent people, kept in line through intimidation. He says these funds may support political influence and sanctions-evasion imports, and criticizes Western authorities for allowing large sums to move more easily than ordinary Russians’ money. He argues that exposing these networks could make cooperation with the Kremlin more politically risky.

Presenter: Mikhail Khodorkovsky