Germany’s cybersecurity and infrastructure under attack by Russia, chancellor says

BERLIN — Cybersecurity and infrastructure in Germany are under “severe threat” by foreign adversaries such as Russia and China, said Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Bundestag on Wednesday.

“As we all know, the main causes of attacks of this kind that affect our cybersecurity come from Russia,” Scholz said in the Bundestag. “And of course, they also come from China from time to time. And that should not be concealed.”

The United States said Tuesday night a major Chinese hack of global telecom providers is “ongoing.” There has also been disruption following damage to two undersea fiber-optic cables in the Baltic Sea which sparked suspicions of sabotage.

In a separate incident, the crew of a Russian ship allegedly shot at a Bundeswehr helicopter on the Baltic Sea with signal ammunition, according to a report by German news agency DPA.

“We have to make a great deal of effort to arm ourselves against such attacks,” Scholz said when asked about recent incidents. “Security authorities must also try to clear up as many of them as possible and prevent them from continuing.”

The head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service last week warned that high-ranking officials in Russia’s Defense Ministry doubted whether NATO countries would adhere to a mutual defense clause enshrined in the NATO treaty.

Moscow could, for example, stage a limited intervention under the pretext of protecting Russian minorities in NATO-allied territories — thus testing the durability of so-called Article 5, in hopes that would lead to collapse of the alliance.

Asked about peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Scholz said that decisions could not be made “over the head of Ukraine,” but that it is up to Kyiv to consider how things should proceed — “in conversation with its best friends and allies.”

In view of his solo diplomatic intervention involving an hour-long phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the center-left politician added: “The Russian President has not shown that he wants to do anything in the direction of peace.”