International Responses to Ukraine’s Notorious Hit List

Following the publication of the notorous “Foreigners in the Service of the Kremlin” list by the Center for Countering Disinformation, the Schiller Institute circulated a statement denouncing what is seen as implicit death threats, which has been signed by 35 persons (cf. SAS 31/22 and schillerinstitute.com). In addition, many of the 72 persons named have issued their own statements, including Helga Zepp-LaRouche and Jacques Cheminade, some of them calling on their governments and other institutions to take action against such a blacklist. Here is a small selection:

United States: Former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter has exposed the fact that the blacklist is financed with American taxpayers’ money, as we reported. He also confronted the main sponsor of that funding, Sen. Chuck Schumer, with the fact that the list targets his political adversaries such as the Schiller Institute’s Diane Sare, who is challenging Schumer in the November elections, as well as Sen. Rand Paul, whose request to have an inspector supervise the $40 billion in funds approved, was rejected. Diane Sare, Ritter wrote, “was singled out by the Schumer-funded, State Department-supported Center for Countering Disinformation as an ‘information terrorist’ who should be prosecuted as a ‘war criminal’ because of her public stance challenging the narrative about the Ukraine conflict. That’s right — Chuck Schumer helped create the organizational structures which have attacked the reputation of a challenger for his Senate seat, threatening her with political violence and more for the ‘crime’ of challenging Schumer on the issue of Ukraine“. Ritter’s article was reprinted in full on the Ron Paul Institute’s website.

Germany: Left member of Parliament Andrej Hunko filed an interrogation to Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and Labor Minister Hubertus Heil, asking whether they addressed the blacklisting of German personalities, among whom well-known civil rights activist Alice Schwarz, during their recent visit to Kiev. Author Wolfgang Bittner, a speaker at Schiller Institute conferences, highlights the seriousness of the blacklisting of himself and others, including the SPD Bundestag faction leader Rolf Mützenich, who is a close ally of Chancellor Scholz. “The German government is called upon to lodge a protest with the Zelensky government against the discrimination against German citizens, of which the SPD parliamentary group leader is one, and to cease all aid to Ukraine. The list of the CCD must be deleted immediately”, Bittner wrote.

His article was published by NachDenkSeiten, a popular progressive blog run by former Willy Brandt speechwriter Albrecht Müller, for whom the list “is a procedure that is unacceptable in view of the heated atmosphere and the violence that may ensue against those on the list. If the Foreign Minister cannot be relied upon, it is up to the Chancellor to take action.”

Denmark: Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod is called on to appear before the Parliament‘s Foreign Affairs Committee to respond to a written query filed by MP Marie Krarup (independent). In particular, the minister is asked whether “the list is an expression of respect for freedom of expression, democracy, and other values” and whether Denmark’s support for Ukraine with arms and money can be further justified.

Italy: Member of the European Parliament Francesca Donato has called on the Parliament chairman to “carefully evaluate the situation: Kiev’s authoritarism is not compatible with the status of candidate to EU membership.” Trade union leader Alessia Ruggeri has given several interviews denouncing the blacklist and promoting the SI’s peace initiatives.

France: A a speaker at SI events Eric Denécé and Olivier Dujardin, both of the French Center of Research and Intelligence (CF2R), have called the attack “stupid and baseless”, and motivated by the attempt to solicit more money from the West to prolong the war.