Russia’s former president, Dmitry Medvedev, levels a scathing criticism of what he termed the NATO/EU Holy Trinity of leadership. The current Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Unleashed overdue criticism of NATO boss Mark Rutte, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, and Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. Medvedev’s cutting revelations reveal more evidence of why the Western alliance is disintegrating.
The European Union and the entire Western bloc of allied nations are awash in scandal, incompetence, and worse. The allegedly thriving nations allied in a joint effort to rule the world since World War 2 are wobbling beneath a tsunami of debt and greed. The combined external debt of the U.S., the U.K., Japan, Germany, and France is a staggering $63 trillion. With this in mind, assessing the current West-East policy mess gives us our best understanding of NATO’s aggressive stance and the recent Washington hegemony’s desperate moves. Things are coming apart fast.
Russian Humor – They Get It
One cannot help but chuckle at the gripping sense of humor of former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Recently, the current Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation wrote a scathing post on his Telegram channel comparing the European Commission’s chief, Ursula von der Leyen, to an ordinary, scaly Volga fish. The witty and cutting Medvedev likened her to an old, unkind, Belgian-German political grandmother. Medvedev also pointed out scandals surrounding the EU president and others. They are scandals that never seem to get much attention in the Western press, and for good reason.
Some readers may recall a scandal aptly named Qatargate, where EU parliamentarians were caught red-handed taking bribes from officials of various countries. Interestingly, most accused wear electronic tags instead of being behind bars. However, Qatargate is all about EU leaders, whom the German magazine Der Spiegel called “shockingly amateurish” in their scandalous behavior. Meanwhile, more professional EU leaders can take the high road on corruption. For instance, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, accused Qatar of seeking to buy influence in the European Parliament chamber and that it was of the “utmost concern”. The European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Security, Josep Borrell, has also been worried.
Now we have Pfizergate, which Mr. Medvedev also refers to in his roasting of the NATO bunch via Telegram. Medvedev also alluded to questionable contracts when von der Leyen was Germany’s Defense Minister. Frédéric Baldan, a Belgian lobbyist focusing on China-EU trade relations, has filed a criminal complaint against all concerned in Pfizergate, and the EU boss has been reluctant to turn over COVID-19 vaccine contracts and other documents. No one, so far, has sacked her residence looking for bribe money. Still, the fact her husband is a director of U.S. biotechnology company Orogenesis and rumors he runs Pfizer from behind the curtain is, at the least, interesting. Von der Leyen’s omissions in the declaration to spend 71 billion euros on vaccines did not seem to phase the EU Commission’s oversight people much. In another twist, Greece’s corruption watchdogs claim Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pushed a grant of €31 million to Prof. Dr. Heiko von der Leyen’s company for research (read here).
When “PM” Means Primadonna
Russia’s former Prime Minister and most vociferous protector, Medvedev, did not stop hammering the EU chief. He took some pains to express the hate the EU has for all things Russian in commenting on Borell’s replacement from Estonia, PM Kaya Callas:
“Kay combines perfectly two of the most important traits for a successful European politician: nuclear Russophobia and an endless thirst for profit.”
Here are a few points to let the reader laugh with Mr. Medvedev and me about the untrustworthy triad in his Telegram post. Not many out there know that at the same time, Estonia is with NATO in a hybrid war on Russia; Kaya Callas’ husband has been expanding the business and profits of his companies in Russia. Talk about hypocrisy. Since the start of the Ukraine special operation, Kallas’ husband, Arvo Hallik, defied sanctions on Russia, and his associates were expanding operations. Interestingly, a poll of Estonian citizens after the scandal was revealed overwhelmingly voted for Kallas to resign.
A last point. Saving perhaps the best (worst) for last is the third holier art than thou member of a Holy Trinity, Medvedev jabbed at the other day. The Netherlands’ shamed former Prime Minister Mark Rutte is a unique work. Now the Secretary General of NATO, Rutte is “a very special guy, “as Medvedev suggested.”
Rutte, an “expert” at evading incrimination, is the same many who profiled people of particular ethnic persuasion in benefits fraud cases. The current UN Secretary-General was forced to resign as Prime Minister of the Netherlands over his administration’s involvement in the persecution of innocent parents his government claimed were child welfare fraudsters. Then there’s Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, who minced no words about the “expert corruption” at the EU’s core.
“Everyone knew that Brussels is filled with corruption issues, but now the matter reached a level that police also had to take action. It is time that we drain the swamp here in Brussels.”
The Expert Finger Pointers
Oh, and before I forget and leave off an important point, some must remember when Dutch Politician and Member of Parliament Geert Wilders accused Rutte of mass corruption, nepotism, and the VVD as a mafia gang. Wilders dropped the dime on Rutte’s administration for pumping millions into Shell oil and other companies by granting those companies huge tax cuts.
Still, even a good roasting like the one Dmitry Medvedev gave this trinity of political criminals hasn’t had a dramatic effect. While Vladimir Putin, Medvedev, and a score of other critical Russian figures are accused of working directly for Satan, the real hellbenders run amok. Medvedev supposedly has or does this, Putin killed this one or that one, the Russians are inhuman barbarians… And so it goes on.
Meanwhile, in Washington, London, and Brussels, billions and billions change hands – the world bleeds blood and riches – and the perpetrators are expertly shielded. We just watched a former U.S. president and the current one prove they are playing the same game. Two geriatric cheaters were standing before a great nation, lying bold-faced to three hundred million citizens of a powerful nation being turned into Babylon. The presidential debate held by CNN the other day was the biggest disgrace to the U.S. presidency since Richard Nixon was forced to step down. America is in free-fall.
Yes, it’s funny, in a sad way, to see Dmitry Medvedev simply tell it like it is. He has a good sense of humor, like most good Russians.
Phil Butler, is a policy investigator and analyst, a political scientist and expert on Eastern Europe, he’s an author of the recent bestseller “Putin’s Praetorians” and other books. He writes exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.