According to security expert Christian Mölling, Russia is using the crisis in the Middle East to cause chaos. Mölling said on Friday in the 160th episode of the Stern podcast “Ukraine – the situation” that the leadership in Moscow was pursuing a strategy from Soviet times, namely “wherever you have no control, to weaken the control of others – thus creating chaos “donate”. This approach was successful in Syria, among other places.
The research director of the German Society for Foreign Policy speaks of a “deep connection” between Russia and Iran. Both states are concerned with “dismantling the existing order that is not perceived as beneficial.” It would be downright childish to believe that Iran and Russia would not seek to capitalize on developments in Israel and the Gaza Strip. The biggest concern for the Americans is that Iran is now pursuing an expansionary course. The deployment of US aircraft carriers is “a clear message to Iran not to take advantage of this opportunity and try to take major action here and thereby set the entire Middle East ablaze.” .
Mölling viewed the violent attacks by Russian troops in the Ukrainian Donbass as an attempt to straighten the front. “So far it looks like the Ukrainians are able to fend this off well and successfully,” he says. In the south of the country, the Ukrainian armed forces are making further progress in their offensive. However, patience is necessary. “I hope everyone has learned by now that progress only takes meters,” says Mölling.
But the Ukrainians are getting closer and closer to the important logistics hub of Tokmak. If the place can be captured or made unusable through constant shelling, “a good starting point for the next offensive” will be reached.
Mölling points to Russian efforts to create additional lines of communication with Crimea. The Ukrainians would therefore continue to need long-range weapons to destroy such facilities at great distances from the front. In his opinion, the debate about the delivery of the German Taurus cruise missiles is not over, especially since the stocks of similar systems delivered to Ukraine by Great Britain and France will at some point be used up.
