Russia flirts with acts of war against the United States

 

Former President Donald Trump mistakenly believes that Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants to reach a mutually beneficial compromise between the United States and Russia. Similarly, Vice President Kamala Harris assumes that strengthening NATO is compatible with continuing to overlook European countries not pulling their weight in defense.

These misconceptions matter because Russia is a hostile power toward the U.S., and Putin is increasingly taking risks in that role—risks that verge on what could be seen as acts of war.

Consider recent reporting from The Wall Street Journal on Russian efforts to infiltrate incendiary devices into air cargo routes from Europe to North America. In July, two packages containing incendiary devices detonated in sorting facilities in the U.K. and Germany, with Russia's GRU military intelligence service suspected of orchestrating these incidents.

Though the devices detonated in warehouses rather than aboard planes at high altitudes, this should serve as a wake-up call for those who believe Russia aims for positive relations with the U.S. As a former KGB officer, Putin resents the U.S. for its Cold War victory and support of Eastern and Central European democracies.

He would only consider friendly relations with America if it stopped supporting democracies in Ukraine, Poland, the Baltic States, and Central Asia, while also backing Russian energy and political pressure on Europe. However, given U.S. support for Ukraine's defense, Putin has empowered Russia's intelligence agencies in a campaign of sabotage. 

This recent parcel plot is just one part of a larger Russian campaign targeting Western warehouses, factories, and individuals aiding Ukraine to incite fear and division without provoking direct NATO retaliation.

All three major Russian intelligence services—the GRU, SVR, and FSB—are involved in this campaign, but the GRU has taken the lead in the most aggressive operations. GRU Director Igor Kostyukov is a hard-liner who favors quiet but deadly measures. In 2018, two GRU officers recklessly disposed of a nerve agent in the U.K., resulting in the death of an innocent woman.

This aggressive sabotage also reflects the influence of Russia’s “spy tsar,” Nikolai Patrushev. Fiercely anti-American, Patrushev is a serious and highly strategic figure who, until recently, was secretary of Russia's national security council. He now serves as a presidential aide, a move likely intended to open his former position to Putin’s ally Sergei Shoigu while ensuring Patrushev retains influence over intelligence activities. 

Putin also appointed one of Patrushev's sons as a deputy prime minister, signaling his continued sway in the Kremlin. Patrushev is suspected by Western intelligence to be behind Russia’s “Havana Syndrome” attacks on U.S. diplomats and personnel using nano-pulsed microwave weapons.

Russia’s attempt to ignite fires aboard civilian aircraft crossing the Atlantic marks a significant escalation. In response, the U.S. should consider openly authorizing Ukraine to target Russian military sites with long-range weapons. Failing to act may only embolden Putin, who responds to perceived weakness much like a shark drawn to blood.