Putin's KGB Past Shapes Foreign Policy: Espionage and Intelligence Gathering

 

Vladimir Putin's background as a KGB agent may be influencing his foreign policy decisions in a number of ways. The most notable way is through his emphasis on espionage and intelligence gathering. As a former KGB agent, Putin understands the importance of having a strong intelligence apparatus and views it as a key tool for shaping foreign policy. This is demonstrated in his annexation of Crimea in 2014, where Russia's intelligence agencies infiltrated Crimea and provided the Kremlin with the information necessary to carry out the operation.

     Closer to the U.S. mainland, Putin is using KGB-style tactics in Latin America and the Caribbean, which are at our backdoor. Russia increased its presence and influence in Venezuela through the deployment of military personnel and equipment, as well as with the provision of financial assistance to the Venezuelan government.

     Putin is also building closer ties with Cuba and Nicaragua through diplomatic and economic means. U.S. intelligence agencies believe these efforts are part of a broader strategy to counter American influence in the region and to assert Russian power.

     Russia’s aggressive foreign policy hegemony encroaching upon America’s southern border motivated me to write the spy thriller MISSION OF VENGEANCE, which delves into Russia’s usage of KGB tactics to undermine America’s influence in the Caribbean.

     The novel follows CIA operative Corey Pearson as he uncovers a sinister plot orchestrated by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his former KGB agents. Using his extensive training and experience from his days in the KGB, Putin deploys a group of ruthless Spetsnaz thugs and GRU spies to the Caribbean.

     Their mission: to strong-arm and bribe Caribbean bankers and politicians into accepting large deposits of laundered money from crooked Russian oligarchs. The deposits are meant to be used as a cover for illegal activities and to gain influence over the region.

    Here’s a snippet from MISSION OF VENGEANCE:    

     CIA operative Cartwright commented, “U.S. Ambassador Lawrence is an arrogant fool with power needs. He doesn’t give a dam about Hezbollah moving tons of cocaine through the Caribbean to the U.S. So why his sudden interest in meeting with OAS members, who couldn’t be bribed like he was, to tighten the extradition agreement with the U.S. against the Hezbollah drug smugglers?”

     CIA spymaster Corey Pearson responded. “Because the Russians pressured him to do so. Lawrence unwittingly gathered the opponents of Putin’s Caribbean puppets in one place, so they could be eliminated. Putin is a former KGB agent and he’s using the KGB playbook to steer his foreign policy. He wants to spread Russian influence throughout the Caribbean and will murder anyone who gets in his way.”

     The Russian defector agreed. “That’s exactly how I see it. Putin wants to avoid another Salisbury, England disaster where two of his GRU assassins poisoned Sergei Skripal and his daughter with the Novichok nerve agent. Both agents were caught, and the entire Western world reacted. Key Russian spies working in Russian embassies in the West were expelled. Putin is using Hezbollah as his assassination proxy to avoid that from happening again.”

End of snippet    

     Getting back to real life! Another way Putin's KGB background may be influencing his foreign policy decisions is through his strategic use of propaganda and disinformation. He was trained in the use of media and information as a tool for shaping public opinion and influencing foreign governments. Little wonder why his government uses its state-controlled media to spread disinformation about the 2016 US Presidential election and the Sergei Skripal poisonings in the UK.

     Russian aggression is right out of the KGB’s playbook. Putin utilizes military force to assert Russian influence on the international stage, like his deployment of Russian troops in Syria and the ongoing tensions with NATO in Eastern Europe.

     Its foreign policy belligerence also takes the form of harassment of U.S. spy planes and naval vessels in international waters and airspace, such as in the Baltic and Black Seas.

      Lastly, Putin employs KGB tactics in his approach to negotiation and diplomacy. As a former intelligence agent, he is skilled in the art of covert and subtle manipulation and in the ability to read the intentions of other leaders. This gives him an advantage in diplomatic negotiations and in the ability to anticipate the reactions of other countries.

     In conclusion, Putin's KGB background shapes his foreign policy subterfuge through his emphasis on espionage and intelligence gathering, strategic use of propaganda and disinformation, emphasis on military power and his approach to negotiation and diplomacy.

     While writing MISSION OF VENGEANCE and plotting how former KGB agents under Putin's orders deployed Russian Spetsnaz thugs and GRU spies to strongarm and bribe Caribbean bankers and politicians, I knew it was all fictional. But now, I’m not all that unsure.

Robert Morton is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and enjoys writing about the U.S. Intelligence Community. He authors the Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster series.