This is a brief message that can be formed by reading the letters of a leading Russian scholar and political scientist, Sergei Karaganov.
Professor Sergei Karaganov is known not only in Russia but also in Europe. This representative of Moscow’s scientific elite, who, among other things, owns real estate in Europe, has often spoken at various events in the EU, while collecting information for the Russian authorities, broadcasting the Kremlin’s narratives, and supporting Putin’s policies. In 2023, he even called on the Russian authorities to strike Poland with nuclear weapons.
Ukrainian hackers managed to gain access to his mail, where, among other things, they found Karaganov’s letters to the Russian presidential administration. One of them, dated 2016, contained a report on the speech in Italy and the attitude of the Italian elite towards Germany and Russia. But the other is more interesting, dated 2023, and outlines Karaganov’s vision for the further development of Russia.
Thus, in his letter, the Moscow professor outlines his vision that Europe will collapse in the near future and will cease to be interesting from an economic point of view in the long run. Instead, Russia should move its military and political decision-making centers, key institutions, and industrial base to the Asian part of the world, namely Siberia. The reasons for the collapse of the EU are not described, but in the context of the events in Ukraine, it is about sowing enmity among European countries and economic destruction (and possibly military).
It is not known for certain whether the Kremlin made a decision on this letter, but it should be noted that, for example, the new plant for the production of UAVs “Geran’-2” (based on the Iranian “Shahed”) was located in the Asian zone of Russia.
Mr. Karaganov is not an ordinary “urban madman,” so his vision should be considered in the light of the general mood of the pro-Putin scientific (or pseudo-scientific) environment. Thus, EU representatives should think about the challenges that the union may face and ways to address them, as the Russian authorities are aimed at disintegrating anyone who does not want to accept the “Russian world” with all its consequences.
