Published 3 August 2021 at 15.44
Abroad. Foreign Minister Ann Linde (S) was tricked by bully callers into discussing how Swedish aid money can be smuggled to a right-wing extremist Russian organization. Now the Russian embassy in Stockholm is reacting strongly to the information.
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Bus ringningen till Ann Linde
- Ann Linde revealed by bully – promises Swedish tax money to Russian politicians
In a post on Facebook, the Russian embassy writes that the recorded conversation confirms that the Swedish government does not intend to “deviate from its chosen confrontation course” against Russia.
“Instead of calls to develop good neighborly relations between Moscow and Stockholm “talks the Swedish Foreign Minister” openly about the Swedish authorities' readiness to finance an extremist organization that is banned in our country and does not support system opposition “, writes the embassy and continues:
“In addition, the comment of the Foreign Ministry's press service that the conversation took place 'after an official request' raises a sincere surprise. We would like to draw the Swedish diplomat's master's special attention to the fact that Navalny's staff are not representatives of official Russian authorities, considered as a source of official inquiries by definition. “
The embassy further writes that it wants to make “Foreign Ministry's press release writers” aware that their “profound conclusion” that “foreign policy relations have not been affected thereby” (ie the Swedish-Russian relations) is incorrect.
“Such proposals in support of a so-called 'opposition' constitute, gracious gentlemen, a clear example of an intervention in the internal affairs of neighboring Russia and cannot be considered in any other way than as directly detrimental to our bilateral relations.”
The background to Russia's move is that a couple of infamous Russian pranksters managed to trick Ann Linde into believing that they were Julia Navalnaya, wife of the convicted opposition politician Alexei Navalny, and Navalny's chief of staff Leonid Volkov.
In the recorded conversation, Ann Linde asked if she could imagine smuggling Swedish tax money via Sida to Navalny's organization, which is branded extremist in Russia.
– I'm not entirely sure of the details, but I think it is possible to … if you have a contact … with or through the embassy. If it is possible, because I do not know the technical details, she answers.
When the man in the conversation suggests that the Swedish tax money should be laundered via Ukraine or in one of the Baltic states, the Swedish Foreign Minister answers:
– I think we may not discuss this over the phone, but I think it is possible that someone else can talk to you after our phone call.
The bus call has attracted attention in the Swedish media, but there, they have strongly toned down or completely avoided mentioning the discussion about smuggling Swedish aid money to Russian politicians.