Russia uses US talks for the reconstruction of espionage networks
Russia uses US talks for the reconstruction of espionage networks
Russia plans to talk to the Trump administration in order to restore a significant diplomatic presence in the United States. This could open a way to rebuild its spy network in the West, report current and former US officials.
diplomatic conversations between the USA and Russia
The USA and Russia have agreed to start discussions about the restoration of the regular processes of their respective messages and consulates. This was followed by a phone call between President Donald Trump and the Russian President Vladimir Putin and a high-ranking meeting in RIAD this month.
Details of the talks in Turkey
On Thursday, US and Russian delegations met in Turkey to discuss detailed topics such as personnel strength, visa, diplomatic banks and other operating questions. The US State Department said that the two countries had had "constructive" conversations and that follow-up was planned "in the near future".
meaning of the restoration of diplomatic relationships
Although Foreign Minister Marco Rubio has emphasized the importance of restoring regular diplomatic services and communications, current and former US civil servants emphasize that the talks also represent a significant concession to Moscow. Russia endeavors to reinstall its intelligence officers under diplomatic guise in his messages and consulates in Washington, New York and Houston.
Russia's spy skills under pressure
Russia's spy skills have been significantly eroded in the past ten years because the United States and Europe regularly identified Russian spies that operated under diplomatic guise. This happened in particular after the Invasion of Russia in Ukraine .
Russia's high -ranking meeting in Istanbul
The US officials are so concerned about the situation that Russia will not be ongoing further high-ranking meetings until considerable progress in the restoration of Russian presence in the United States. "We will soon know whether Russia is really ready to negotiate in good faith," said a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry. If there is progress at the meeting in Istanbul, "we would expect us to meet again in the near future," they added.
FBI and the Russian presence in the USA
The US officials are also concerned about how the FBI, which already suffers from a lack of resources, will take effective measures against a more robust Russian intelligence presence on US floor.
Russia strives for reinforcement of its spy capacities
Since 2016, more than 100 Russian diplomats that have been suspected of having spy have been shown from the United States. These instructions were massively reinforced after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In addition, Moscow has had no ambassador in Washington since October when the previously envoy Anatoly Antonov resigned.
demands for diplomatic premises
A US official found that the return of a Russian diplomatic presence was "a priority" for Russia. They are strongly dependent on human enlightenment and make this presence of great importance because they enable officers to communicate with contacts. In addition, the Russians want their officials to stay in the United States longer, which would give them the opportunity to operate and recruit more effectively.
The risk of the national security of the USA
A former US official warned that it is "absurd" that the return of such people in larger numbers is up for discussion, especially in view of the endangerment of the US national security. "The last waves of instructions almost exclusively included operative under weak guise."
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