Russia is planning a forum for marine protection – and probably wants to achieve something completely different with it

Russia apparently wants to use a bogus organization to influence Western experts. This was the result of research by WDR, NDR and “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (SZ) and other international media. They refer to corresponding January 2023 papers from the Russian Presidential Administration.

Therefore, Moscow plans to create a new scientific forum with international participants that will officially deal with the pollution of the Baltic Sea. According to the report, Western experts will be courted before the “Baltic Platform” forum and thus “then post political messages in the interest of Moscow”.

According to the newspapers, the topic of the project was deliberately chosen to be as apolitical as possible, so that representatives of European research, culture and non-governmental organizations could once again talk to Russia – the polluted ecology of the Baltic Sea. The aim is for participants from the Baltic states, Scandinavia and Germany to come together in the autumn of 2023.

According to the research, the purpose of the “Baltic Platform” should be to create a “gradual transition in discussion from non-political topics to topical political content.” Western security authorities speak, according to the report, of a “classic intelligence influence operation” with which Russia tries to restore ties with individual European countries after Western sanctions.

According to the report, 13 people – senior Russian officials and rectors of well-known Russian universities who are loyal to the regime – will form an organizing committee for the forum. The papers should also name potential partners, including the Baltic Sea Center at Stockholm University and the Helsinki Commission, which was set up in 1974 to protect the Baltic Sea. The organizations are not known for their pro-Russian stance and explain to WDR, NDR and SZ that no attempts have been made to contact them so far.

(t-online, CSI)