The Kremlin is activating all its terminals, including the political ones, to put pressure on Europe. This is the only way to explain certain coincidences.<\/p>\n
A very difficult time for Russia in the economic field<\/big><\/p>\n Although their propaganda tries to sell the idea that Russian sanctions are mainly affecting the countries of the European Union, the reality is very different. The Russian government itself acknowledged yesterday that this year Russia may see a 2.9% contraction in its economy this year<\/a>. Keep in mind that the Kremlin rarely tells the truth. A few weeks ago the Russian Central Bank raised that contraction to a 6%<\/a>, and at the end of August experts and academics, using data from the IMF and the World Bank, calculated that Russian GDP may fall by 9.5% in 2022<\/a>, more than three times what acknowledges the Kremlin<\/strong>. In addition, Russia may experience a 40% annual drop in income between 2022 and 2023: about 140,000 million dollars less.<\/p>\n Time is running against Russia in its invasion of Ukraine<\/big><\/p>\n In addition to the economic situation, Putin has failed in his invasion of Ukraine<\/a>, which is causing huge losses to the russian armed forces<\/a>. The more time passes, the more likely it is that Russia will achieve its goals in Ukraine and the more likely that Ukrainian forces will regain lost ground, as they are already doing in the Kherson region. Time is against Putin and now we are going to see the effects of his haste<\/strong>, through those who defend Russia's interests in the West.<\/p>\n Russia mobilizes its political terminals: the case of the Czech Republic<\/big><\/p>\n Many people seem to ignore it, but the Kremlin devotes considerable resources to propaganda abroad<\/strong>, in an attempt to influence Western society in order to favor its interests. In view of the desperate situation in Russia and recent events, it seems that Putin has begun to move his pawns to put pressure on the West and alleviate the damage that the sanctions are doing to the Russian economy<\/strong>. An example of these movements has recently occurred in the Czech Republic, exhibiting a paradox: the alliance of pro-Russian parties of the right and of the far-left to favor the interests of Russia.<\/strong><\/p>\n Last Saturday, the party Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) organized a protest in Prague<\/a> calling for the resignation of the government headed by Petr Fiala, demanding the adoption of a policy of neutrality in the face of the invasion of Ukraine and the cessation of arms shipments to this country, the cessation of sanctions against Russia was requested<\/strong> and criticizing the reception of Ukrainian refugees. The protest managed to gather some 70,000 people and was actively spread by pro-Russian propagandists on social media.<\/strong><\/p>\n The pro-Russian right of the SPD, the Czech allies of Le Pen<\/big><\/p>\n The demands of that demonstration seemed to be written by the Russian embassy, which is no surprise. The SPD is a right-wing party and the Czech partner of the Identity and Democracy group<\/strong>, which brings together right-wing parties from different European countries, including Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National, the German AfD, the Austrian FP\u00d6 and the Italians of the Lega. What happened in Prague is not an isolated case. A month ago Le Pen already criticized the sanctions against Russia<\/a>, stating that \"they only serve to make the citizens of Europe suffer\"<\/em>: the same slogan spread by the Kremlin's propaganda media<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Again we are not facing any surprise. In December 2021 I already pointed out the affinity of Identity and Democracy to Russia<\/a> as one of the main stumbling blocks that separate it from the conservatives of the ECR. In fact, Identity and Democracy is one of the two most pro-Russian groups in the European Parliament. The other is The Left, which brings together communist parties<\/strong> and other far-left formations. Among the partners of The Left are the most pro-Russian parties in Spain (Izquierda Unida and Podemos) and also the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KS\u010cM)<\/strong>, heir to the single party of the communist dictatorship.<\/p>\n Pro-Russian communists from KS\u010cM also joined the demonstration<\/big><\/p>\n Coincidentally, KS\u010cM joined the SPD demonstration last Saturday<\/a>. The Communist Party has posted a video on its official website<\/a> showing its participation in the march, in which KS\u010cM members wore red t-shirts with the slogan \"Volim komunisty\" (I vote for the communists):<\/strong><\/p>\n
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