U.S., Germany foil alleged Russian plot to assassinate CEO of German arms firm sending weapons to Ukraine
NBCJUL 2024
Report: Alleged Russian Plot to Kill Rheinmetall CEO Foiled
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The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
Papperger is a thorn in Moscow's side because his firm is building a factory in Ukraine to resurrect its arms industry and help the country reduce its reliance on Western assistance. The Russian plot to assassinate him underlines the need to protect Europeans as Moscow is willing to murder private citizens on their soil in a parallel hybrid war it's waging across the West.
Pro-Russia narrative
CNN's report can't be taken seriously as the Western news outlet neither provided any evidence of the "sophisticated" or "mature" assassination plot nor elaborated on whether Russia sought to carry out the murder directly or through a local proxy. This is another fake story spread by the West to stoke anti-Kremlin sentiments and justify its continuous flow of arms to Ukraine.
Metaculus Prediction
There's a 50% chance that there will be a bilateral cease-fire or peace agreement in the Russo-Ukraine conflict by 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
