The fact that the intelligence services work more clearly may appeal to retired General Peter Kopellins. Koblenz was the head of the Dutch military intelligence service MIVD between 2006 and 2011. “In my time, I was never allowed to come into the picture. But for some time I had been making a case for the defense to present the often active generals, for example, talk shows. It’s better to show that you work hard and that there is a lot of knowledge,” says Cobelens.

He explains: “What is sometimes forgotten is that information warfare is also important, among other things, to public opinion. It is perhaps even more important in this war, because a huge amount of information is available on many different channels.”

Arbitrage

From this perspective, the relative openness of the intelligence services is a response to the flood of disinformation from Russia. The business newspaper writes that the strategy is well thought out financial times this week. In the United States, new intelligence chief Avril Haines is said to have decided to change course with new CIA chief William Burns.

Jeremy Fleming, the head of British intelligence, GCHQ, said at the end of last month that the UK knowingly was also “highly classified information”. Involved “To pre-empt Putin’s actions.”

For example, Russia said last week that the withdrawal of troops around Kyiv had completed the “first phase” of Ukraine’s “special military operation” and that the withdrawal should be seen as a sign of goodwill in negotiations with Ukraine. A few hours after that report, Western countries, on the basis of intelligence, contradicted this framework: the withdrawal would be a forced regrouping due to military setbacks.