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French national pardoned in Baku in exchange for oligarchs' removal from EU sanctions list, France and Latvia agree to open nuclear deterrence talks and German general to lead NATO's military committee

French national pardoned in Baku in exchange for oligarchs' removal from EU sanctions list, France and Latvia agree to open nuclear deterrence talks and German general to lead NATO's military committee

We had a great turn out and a lovely crowd for our event, "The War on Peace: Foreign Subversion of Western Peace Movements," on Monday night as well as a great exchange with our extremely engaged audience about the topic on hand. Personally, I learned a bit about the mythos of Russia in the Russian mind and even a bit about the mythos of the Alps via Russian Field Marshal Alexander Suvarov's Swiss campaign. Afterwards, it was someone in our esteemed audience who emailed later to say French General Jacques Lecourbe was responsible for Suvarov's delay and eventual defeat in the battle for Zürich.

For us in Europe, the alternative to peace is war but Russian military doctrine rather sees war as operating on a continuum. The Russian word for peace and world ("mir") are the same. When Russia speaks of wanting "peace" it also means the "world". How clever. What sort of peace might Russia want? Well, the world. If you are like me, world domination fantasies are triggering and ones embedded in the language all the more so.

Otherwise, this famous "Neutrality Initiative" is Sunday here in Switzerland and this looks headed for a certain defeat. It is and it is not about neutrality but really rather Switzerland will be willing to have the flexibility to cooperate with other free Western nations to defend itself. You might imagine who and what forces support "hard neutrality" or "flexible neutrality" or as I prefer, neutrality in a blue dress on a Saturday night.

However, do not expect the noise around this issue to retreat soon. In defeat, those who lose nurse grievances and turn to new scapegoats and strategies. With at least one hostile foreign adversary hell bent on the destabilization of Europe, one cannot expect a simple shrug and disavowal of the past destructiveness before one turns to new tactics.

If you have ever confronted bad guys, you know that the revelation that they are bad guys is not met with an aha moment where the good guys are pronounced and justice is served. This is not how anything works. Further, as Richard Nixon reminds in his book Six Crises, the most dangerous moment in any crisis is when one imagines the crisis has past and lets down their guard. So with reentrenchment in context being only more feelings about neutrality, prepare and fortify. Winter is coming. 

Welcome to the Alpine Security Monitor. We urge you to subscribe (and become a paid subscriber!) for weekly updates on security and geopolitics as it concerns the Alpine region, namely Austria, Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland (ok, little Liechtenstein and Monaco too when merited). We could certainly use your support.

 

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – Jailed French national pardoned after EU lifts sanctions on oligarchs

  • Le Monde reports Wednesday that Azerbaijan pardoned a Frenchman imprisoned on espionage charges, "following the European Union's removal of two Russian billionaires from its sanctions list".
  • In the days leading up to the pardon, France lobbied for the EU to take the Russian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov off the sanctions list "in exchange for the release of French prisoners held in Azerbaijan". Luxembourg joined the lobbying efforts demanding "that sanctions be lifted for fellow billionaire Mikhail Fridman". Fridman is suing Luxembourg over his frozen assets.
  • Initially, the EU put the two oligarchs on its sanctions list after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, "over allegations their businesses provided significant revenues to the Kremlin". France's lobbying to have Usmanov removed from the list was criticized by several EU countries on the grounds that "lifting sanctions for political reasons set a dangerous precedent".

 

RIGA, LATVIA – France and Latvia agree to open talks on nuclear deterrence initiative

  • Le Monde reports Wednesday that "France has agreed to start talks with Latvia on extending its nuclear deterrent and to increase its military presence in the Baltic state".
  • The news came via a statement from Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs on Tuesday, which noted a French delegation was soon expected in Riga.
  • Kulbergs' office added that French President Emmanuel Macron "expressed his commitment to strengthening the French military presence in Latvia, particularly in the area of air defense."

 

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – German general to lead NATO military committee

  • Politico reports Saturday that "Germany's Chief of Defense Carsten Breuer will take over as chair of NATO's highest military authority" and become chair of the military committee.
  • Gen. Breuer has led Germany's armed forces since 2023. In a secret vote, Breuer "won the support of at least 17 of NATO's 32 chiefs of defense," paving the way for him to take the top job on NATO's military committee for three years in Copenhagen starting in July 2027. The current President of Czechia, Petr Pavel, previously held the role a decade ago from 2015 until 2018.
  • The presiding chair, Italy's Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, wrote on X: "Your operational judgement, your deep familiarity with this Alliance and your leadership of the German Armed Forces will serve NATO well."

 

PRAGUE, CZECHIA – Czechia is first NATO country to operate Israeli air defense system

  • The Defense Post reports Monday that Czechia is "the first NATO country to introduce the Israeli-made SPYDER air defense system into service".
  • Czechia ordered four systems in 2021, two of which have already been delivered. The systems, which "have been adapted to NATO standards," are now "undergoing validation tests and interoperability scenarios". SPYDER is supposed to form one layer of a broader European air-defense network.
  • Romania is set to become the second European country operating the SPYDER system.

 

PRAGUE, CZECHIA – Two Russian propagandists interrogated and expelled

  • Russian exile media outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe reports Wednesday that "Czech police detained and questioned two Russian nationals, Vitaly Chashchukhin and Igor Dolmatov, who had traveled from Germany to film a 'documentary series' for the pro-Kremlin propaganda outlet Rybar," citing a local media report in Czech outlet Seznam Zyprávy.
  • When questioned, the two said they were employed by "Russian state media outlet Izvestia, which is currently sanctioned by the EU." Moscow-based documentary filmmaker Boris Dvorkin "who organized the shoot, said Chashchukhin was interrogated for roughly nine hours before returning to Germany, where he holds a residence permit."
  • Rybar is "headed by a former press officer for the Russian Defence Ministry".

 

NEW YORK CITY – Diplomatic rift opens between Israel and Austria over 'war crimes'

  • Israel's Ynet News reports Thursday that a diplomatic rift between Israel and Austria opened after "Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen sharply criticized Israel during a visit to New York, accusing it of committing war crimes," which led to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar replying that Van der Bellen ought "be ashamed."
  • During a joint news conferencce Van der Bellen held with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker and Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Van der Bellen said, "illegal settlements in the West Bank have accelerated, and this is violence against the Palestinian population there." He added, such acts "fall under the definition of war crimes."
  • Van der Bellen also "stressed that his remarks did not call Israel's right to exist into question". Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar later called the comments "vile nonsense". By contrast, the president of Austria's Jewish community Oskar Deutsch called Van der Bellen "a true friend of Israel" which is why his remarks are so "serious".

 

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS – German police official to lead Europol

  • Politico reports Wednesday that "German police official Jürgen Ebner has been selected to become the next executive director of Europol".
  • Ebner had the backing of EU ambassadors and was selected from a shortlist consisting of three people in a Council vote. Currently, Ebner is Europol's deputy executive director for governance and "has been acting executive director since Belgian Catherine De Bolle's mandate ended in May". His selection is thus regarded as "a vote for continuity".
  • Ebner, who started his police career in Germany in 1988, will be formally appointed Europol's next executive director by the Council of the EU.

 

TEHRAN, IRAN – French Foreign Ministry vows to retaliate after language schools closed

  • Reuters reports Sunday that the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it will take "appropriate measures after Iranian authorities sealed a French language centre affiliated with its embassy in Tehran".
  • A French Foreign Ministry spokesperson called Iran's action "unjustifiable and unacceptable" and said that the Iranian ambassador to Paris will be summoned over the incident. Iranian authorities accused the center "of activities against Iranian culture and national security", allegations which France dismissed outrightu.
  • French-Iranian relations have deteriorated for years "over Iran's nuclear programme and Tehran detaining several French nationals". In July, Iranian authorities detained two French diplomats and France later said they were mistreated, with one of the two "subjected to physical violence". This week, the foreign ministers of both countries were set to meet at the UN General Assembly in New York.

 

BERLIN, GERMANY – Far-right AfD wins 38% of the vote in northeast regional elections

  • Politico reports Monday that the far-right Alternativ für Deutschland (AfD) won around 38% of the vote in regional elections in the northeastern German federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
  • German Chancellor Friedrich Merz talked of a "major turning point" after his party had suffered another crushing defeat against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as his party, the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), "suffered its worst-ever result in postwar Germany and crashed out of the state parliament". Merz called the results "dramatic" but vowed to remain on as chancellor.
  • The election defeat is likely to further increase the pressure on Merz from within his own party. However, a forced leadership change seems unlikely at the moment because it would risk "triggering a snap election at a time when polls show the far right to be the country's most popular party".

 

SPANGDAHLEM, GERMANY – F-16 fighter jet crashes at US air base

  • Reuters reports Tuesday that "an ​F-16 fighter jet assigned ‌to the US air base Spangdahlem in western Germany crashed ​on Tuesday".
  • According to the US military, "one pilot ⁠had ejected safely and ​was receiving medical treatment". The F-16 was returning to the air base "following a routine training flight involving ​four ​F-16s" when it crashed. The remaining jets "diverted ⁠to Ramstein Air Base and landed safely".
  • An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.

 

VIENNA, AUSTRIA – Former property tycoon convicted in retrial, sentence increased

  • Reuters reports Tuesday that former billionaire René Benko was found guilty by an Austrian court "on an additional insolvency fraud charge at a retrial, increasing his prison sentence to 30 months from the original two ​years".
  • The case against Benko resulted from a broad criminal probe into ​the collapse of Signa, a property group founded by Benko. Signa went bust in 2023, "becming "Austria's biggest post-war bankruptcy", leaving investors across Europe nursing losses". In October, a court in Innsbruck convicted Benko "on one count of insolvency fraud over ​a €300,000 ($344,000) transfer to his mother in late 2023", at a time when Signa was already struggling financially. The court concluded that "the transfer was intended to put the money beyond creditors' reach". However, Benko was acquitted on a second count related to another money transfer of about €360,000. After both sides appealed the verdict, "Austria's Supreme Court upheld the conviction and ordered a retrial on the second count". The retrial resulted in a Benko's conviction on the second count and a subsequent 30 months prison sentence.
  • Benko was arrested on January 23, 2025, and has remained in custody since. His time served counts "towards his ​sentence and he remains in custody in Innsbruck". In a separate case, "Benko was convicted of insolvency fraud in December and handed a 15-month suspended prison ​sentence".

 

ST. GALLEN, SWITZERLAND – Belarusian special ops figure tied to Lukashenko on trial

  • Swissinfo reports Tuesday that "the appeal trial of an alleged member of a Belarusian special forces unit has begun at the Cantonal Court of St. Gallen".
  • In 2019, when the 48-year-old Belarusian applied for asylum in Switzerland, he stated, "he had been involved in the murders of three opposition politicians in 1999 on behalf of the regime of President Alexander Lukashenko". The trial now underway "centers on the offence of enforced disappearance". At first instance, the defendant was acquitted by a lower court "on the grounds of contradictory statements and lack of evidence".
  • However, "relatives of the politicians who disappeared at the time", subsequently appealed the verdict "as private prosecutors".

 

LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND – Swiss national team captain admits using fake Covid certificate

  • Swissinfo reports Tuesday that Granit Xhaka, the captain of the Swiss national football team, admitted that he used a fake Covid vaccination certificate.
  • After Swiss tabloid Blick reported on the allegations against Xhaka, he took to Instagram on Monday, writing that at the time he "felt a deep mistrust of the vaccine and was gripped by fear and uncertainty," which led him to purchase a fake certificate. He added "It was a mistake. I am sorry." In the meantime, "the Lucerne public prosecutor's office confirmed that it had opened an investigation into" Xhaka.
  • Peter Knäbel, president of the Swiss Football Association, said, "we welcome the fact that Granit is taking this step and taking responsibility". As a consequence, Xhaka will not join the Swiss national team for the upcoming four National League matches.

 

ST. GALLEN, SWITZERLAND – Iranian refugee pursuing Judaism denied asylum

  • The Jerusalem Post reports Wednesday that the Federal Administrative Court of Switzerland rejected the asylum application of an "Iranian refugee and Jewish conversion candidate" Ben Vali, thus putting at risk of potential deportation to Iran.
  • Vali, a convert to Christianity, fled from Iran to Georgia and subsequently from Georgia to Switzerland, after he "was threatened with deportation" to Iran, "by a person he believed was a member of Georgia's security services". According to Vali, he was "threatened over his continued pro-Israel advocacy". Meanwhile, he became an "active member of the Jewish community" in Georgia and "became increasingly involved in Judaism". Aware that going back to Iran could lead to his execution due to his pro-Israel stance, "Vali fled to Switzerland, where he had been granted a business visa".
  • After Swiss authorities "ordered his removal to Georgia because he holds refugee status there and Georgia has agreed to readmit him", Vali appealed the decision. The Federal Administrative Court of Switzerland sided with the authorities and rejected his asylum application.

 

ROME, ITALY – Italy invests $4.2 billion in two new destroyer vessels

  • Marine Link reports Thursday that "Italy has formally launched" its program for two destroyers of the next generation valued at $4.2 billion.
  • The new Italian Navy vessels will be built by Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN), a joint venture between shipbuilder Fincatieri and defense company Leonardo. The next generation destroyers, dubbed DDX, "will replace Italy's Horizon-class destroyers, representing a significant increase in size and capability". Integrated air and missile defense is supposed to be one of the core components of the new vessels.
  • It is unclear when the construction should start and when the destroyers are supposed to enter into service.

 

ROME, ITALY – Parliament paves way for a return to nuclear energy

  • The Associated Press reports Wednesday that Italy's Senate "gave final approval to legislation" allowing a return to nuclear power.
  • Italy abandoned nuclear energy after the Chernobyl disaster four decades ago. The new legislation is "a major step in Premier Giorgia Meloni's drive to bolster energy security and meet climate goals". The bill "establishes a legal framework for next-generation nuclear technologies". Previously, Italians rejected a return to nuclear power twice in a referendum, first after the Chernobyl catastrophe and again following the accident at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011.
  • Even if the framework for a return to nuclear power is possible, the reality remains that "construction of possible new reactors is still years away".

 

ROME, ITALY – Government bans burqa in schools, caps foreigners in class

  • The BBC reports Thursday that the Italian government approved "a ban on the burqa and niqab in schools" and a cap "on the share of pupils who speak little Italian in any one class".
  • Only 30% of any one class is supposed to be "without Italian citizenship or poor knowledge of the Italian language". The cap applies to "the first year of primary, middle and high school". Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the measure is meant not to divide "but really help to integrate" newcomers while her education minister said the purpose of the measure was to avoid "ghetto classes". Instead, he framed the ban on the niqab and burqa as a "matter of gender equality".
  • According to numbers compiled by the research institution Fondazione ISMU, 11.6% of pupils in Italy's schools do not possess Italian citizenship. The ban is a "decree law," which "can take effect immediately, but must be ratified by parliament within 60 days".

 

AVIANO, ITALY – US Airman at Aviano found dead at off-base housing

  • US military newspaper Stars and Stripes reports Tuesday that "an active-duty airman at Aviano Air Base in northern Italy was pronounced dead" at a residence off-base .
  • The death is currently under investigation. Officials at Aviano did not disclose the airman's identity apart from acknowledging that the individual "was assigned to the air base's 31st Fighter Wing".
  • The incident marks the second death of "an airman at the base in less than two months". On August 8, a 24-year-old airman went missing while swimming at Lake Barics and was found dead the same day.

And finally…

 

VIENNA, AUSTRIA – Ex-boyfriend charged with murdering influencer ex-girlfriend

  • The New York Post reports Tuesday that a man has been charged with murdering his influencer ex-girlfriend, "who may have then been buried alive in a suitcase".
  • The 31-year-old defendant is accused of having strangled and stabbed the 32-year-old woman in her residence in Austria, "before stuffing her in a suitcase that was later found buried in a forest near the border with Slovenia". According to prosecutors, "It is quite possible that she was still alive when she was placed in the suitcase," but "it is equally possible that she was killed by strangulation beforehand".
  • Initially, the man confessed to murdering his ex-girlfriend "blaming his jealousy after they split". However, he now "appears to be walking back that confession," and is now only admitting to burying her body. He has been charged with murder.

 

Stay safe and try not to get buried alive!

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