By Athena Papakosta

The European edition of Politico is talking about the champagne that has been opened in Moscow, which yesterday, Monday, dedicated its first topic to the humiliation, as it characterized it, of Germany, as Russia – with remarkable relative ease – managed to intercept a critical conversation of German soldiers officials, according to which it appears that the German armed forces were discussing a plan for strikes on Russian soil.

The issue remains high on the international agenda with Russia’s foreign ministry summoning the German ambassador for an explanation and Sergei Lavrov stating that “leaked discussions of German military officials revealed that the appetite for war in Europe remains very strong.”

As the Russian Foreign Minister explained, the aim of the Europeans is “Russia’s strategic defeat on the battlefield”.

At the same time, the representative of the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskovwonders “if Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in control of the situation” while the former president of the country and current vice-president of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, goes – as usual – a step further by pointing out that “Germany is planning a war with Russia”.

The relevant recording concerns secret conversations of German military officials in which they refer to the scenario of the use of the German-made Taurus long-range missiles by the Ukrainian armed forces. In the same talks, they also refer to the possible consequences if the missiles in question are used against targets such as the Kerch Bridge that connects the Crimean peninsula with mainland Russia.

The relevant revelations on Social Media, from Russian accounts close to the Kremlin, first of all that of the Editorial Director of the Russian RT, Margarita Simonyan, are a humiliation for the German armed forces, Politico underlines, adding that they pour water into the mill of Russian propaganda with Vladimir Putin’s circle to rush to sow discord in Berlin by damaging Olaf Solz’s appeal inside and outside of Germany.

The authenticity of the 38-minute recording is undisputed, causing more consternation in the West and more joy in Moscow.

In his first official comment, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stressed that Russia is waging “information warfare”, adding that German authorities are investigating the possibility of wiretapping.

For his part, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has – so far – made no comment, while the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, once again ruled out the possibility of Taurus delivery to Kiev, stressing that “if we want to be in control, this is possible only with the participation of German soldiers”.

The German chancellor has hinted for a week that Britain and France are keeping troops on Ukrainian soil with London – in the wake of French President Emmanuel Macron’s statements that he did not rule out sending Western troops to Ukraine – already confirming the presence of a small number of personnel in the country without, however, specifying what their mission is.

The Kremlin’s reaction remains strong, speaking of “direct involvement of the countries of the collective West in the conflict around Ukraine”.

It is the second time in less than a week that Moscow has played – albeit indirectly – the existential threat card.

It comes ahead of Vladimir Putin’s annual address last Thursday, during which the Russian president warned the West of the risk of a “real threat” of nuclear war if Western troops were sent to Ukraine.