'Just the way the Nazis did': Evidence suggests Russians are stealing art from Ukraine on a World War II scale
NBCDec 23, 2022
The Facts
The story of a Russian defector with access to the workings of Russian Pres. Putin's inner world and security arrangements were shared with the media this week after the defector fled Russia to Turkey last year. Gleb Karakulov gave a series of interviews to the Dossier Center, a UK-based investigative group funded by Russian opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky before those interviews were shared with the Associated Press and a range of European media.
Now a wanted man in Russia, Karakulov worked as an engineer in the presidential communications department of the Federal Protective Service, known as the FSO. There he was responsible for setting up secure communications for Putin and other officials whenever a trip away from the Kremlin was arranged.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This invasion is an egregious violation of international law. Putin's ultimate aim is to restore the Soviet empire, even if it takes massive bloodshed and false pretexts such as calling the 2014 Ukrainian revolution after an election a "coup." This unprovoked attack is the latest chapter in Putin's Orwellian attempt to rewrite history.
Establishment-critical narrative
NATO and the US have ignored Russia's security concerns by breaking its promise not to expand eastward in return for German reunification. These concerns are legitimate and taking them seriously would have avoided the Ukraine tragedy.