"Rusich" and "Reichsbürgers". How Putin arranges the "Gaza Strip" in Europe

Following recent reports about the attempted "coup d'etat" in Germany and about the revitalization of the neo-Nazi group Rusich in the Baltic States, I thought to myself that Moscow needs to do something. Its pawns are not working, and will not work anymore. Attempts to destabilize the situation in any country will now invariably be associated with the "hand of the Kremlin" brand, and all special services that will deal with such incidents will be searching for the "Russian trace.”

Moreover, this strange coincidence of the scandal with the Reichsbürgerbewegung and the sudden appearance in the information space of the already forgotten Reich Chancellor Angela Merkel also suggests the idea of certain conspiratorial schemes. Frau Merkel said a lot of interesting things, particularly about the strange, basically Orwellian, logic of her policy. She talked about the Nord Stream as an attempt... to give Ukraine a stronger energy position, about the Minsk agreements for the benefit of Ukraine. Well, okay, let her reasonings weigh on her conscience, taking into account only that they strangely resemble Russian narratives.

Now let’s move on to the extremists. "Reichsbürger" have demonstrated remarkable progress. From a marginal bunch of eccentrics, who chose Prince Heinrich XIII Reuss zu Köstritz as their leader, they have turned into a far from marginal political force, which, according to experts, already has almost 20,000 activists. And not only ordinary people, but also civil servants, army officers, etc. Certain theses of the Reichsbürgerbewegung program can be seen in the fundamental documents of German parliamentary parties.

“Attempts to destabilize the situation in any country will now invariably be associated with the "hand of the Kremlin" brand,  and all special services that will deal with such incidents will be searching for the "Russian trace.”

Where does their money come from? There is a suspicion that they come from Russia. After all, if the "Alternative for Germany" does not shy away from Putin's financial support, should the "Reichsbürger" be any different?

But the highlight was a certain Russian citizen, a friend of Henry XIII, Vitalia B. She became the "liaison" between the "crowned" extremist and the Russian government.

Nothing surprising. The Reichsbürgers are not alone in their "struggle" to restore the Reich. They are rather part of a network of "citizens", and have an analogue in modern Russia. The "Union of Slavic Forces of Russia (USSR)", also known as "Citizens of the USSR", also considers the late USSR "the most alive of all the living". I think it is the "USSR" that has become the main source of recruitment of the "Rusich" militants, who recently appeared in the media space of the Baltic countries. Russian neo-Nazis asked their members to provide intelligence on military activities in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Thus, they clearly hinted at possible provocations in these countries, which could theoretically escalate into a war against NATO.

If anyone doubts that Rusich is acting at its own risk, they is deeply mistaken. Firstly, it has officially fought in Donbas since 2014, and, therefore, the Kremlin is aware of its existence. Secondly, Rusich is closely connected to the Wagner PMC. Therefore, Prigozhin is probably also involved in coordinating the activities of these terrorist groups. And, thirdly, based on the logic of recent statements by both Putin and his "mouthpiece" Peskov, Russia is preparing for a prolonged confrontation with the West, so Rusich's Baltic action fits into this context.

“Anything can be expected from armed groups parallel to the official army (in Russia they are not limited to Rusich and Wagner). However, now it seems that they are fully controlled. Until their sponsors and inspirers decide that Putin is not their ally anymore.”

Overly cautious observers talk about the fact that Rusich and to some extent Wagner may eventually become a threat to the Russian Federation as a state. Because anything can be expected from armed groups parallel to the official army (in Russia they are not limited to Rusich and Wagner). However, now it seems that they are fully controlled. Until their sponsors and inspirers decide that Putin is not their ally anymore.

The actions of the Reichsbürgerbewegung and Rusich should also be seen as an answer to the question recently raised by the Washington Post, which has written that Ukrainian attempts to de-occupy Crimea hide a "protracted conflict" like Gaza or Nagorno-Karabakh. Well, Europeans can be sure: this conflict has been going on for a long time, and its duration will affect not only Ukraine. Russia will not turn down on its hostility neither to Europe,nor to the whole world, because it’s the only way Putin and his clique will be able to stay in power. That is, the conditional "Gaza Strip" is already emerging in Europe itself. And it only needs a little push to develop into a full fledged conflict.

About the author: Ihor Hulyk is a journalist, editor-in-chief of the Espreso.West website.

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