Russia's not-quite-war on Europe
Summary
Host Sarah Wheaton interviews Elizabeth Brouh, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, to discuss the escalating wave of Russian hybrid and gray zone attacks across Europe. They analyze recent sabotage incidents, including car tampering in Germany and arson in Estonia, noting that these acts are increasingly brazen and targeting critical infrastructure. Brouh also highlights the vulnerability of undersea cables, the backbone of global connectivity, in her upcoming book, *The Undersea War*. The conversation explores how European governments are shifting toward public attribution and coordin…
Topics discussed
Intro: Hybrid attacks from drone strikes to car sabotage
Rising attribution of Russian-linked sabotage in Europe
Kaja Kallas: Tougher EU response and diplomatic expulsions
Guest intro: Elizabeth Broderick on gray zone threats
Logistics: Speaking from a loud plaza in Lisbon
Trends: Hybrid attacks are more frequent and diverse
Defining the gray zone: Below Article 5 threshold
Why governments are now publicly attributing attacks to Russia
The use of 'gig workers' and unwitting agents
Case study: German car sabotage targeting Green voters
Escalation: Drone attacks and assassination attempts
Economic impact: Cost of sabotage and business resilience
NATO and EU responses: Invisible retaliation and protocols
Advice for EU: United front and private sector resilience
The Undersea War: Context for new book on cable sabotage
Infrastructure: The critical role of undersea data cables
Geopolitics: Globalization, treaties, and satellite limitations
Nord Stream: Ukrainian involvement and legal complexities
Personal safety: Risks for experts criticizing Russia
Outro: Book release details and show credits
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