German intelligence chief warns Russian threat to Europe will endure beyond Ukraine war

At a briefing in Berlin, Sinan Sellen, director of Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), asserted that Russia's hostility toward Europe and Germany will persist regardless of how long the war in Ukraine lasts. He explained that Moscow seeks a comprehensive redrawing of Europe’s geopolitical landscape, employing sabotage, disinformation and espionage campaigns. Among the incidents he highlighted was an attempted explosive-drone strike on a Ukrainian plane at Leipzig airport during the summer.

Sellen warned that ending the Ukrainian war would not end Russia's hybrid threat, which remains detached from the conflict’s status. He noted that the Kremlin’s objectives include reshaping Europe’s role in geopolitics, and that the rise of the pro-Russian far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) underscores the urgency. German authorities are using this assessment to justify higher military budgets and continued aid to Kyiv. The remarks echo Vladimir Putin’s pre-invasion demand for NATO’s withdrawal from much of Eastern Europe, which he views as an existential threat.