As Russia’s war with Ukraine rages on, countries around the world are making an effort to deal with the conflict, and many European countries have sided with Ukraine. Recently, a German military officer’s phone call was hacked by Russian agents, exposing his conversation and embarrassing Germany. The officer was talking about long-range cruise missiles, and how they could be used to kill Russian troops, a clear violation of German policies. Germany has maintained that it does not want to be involved in the war directly, and this audio leak pushes them further and further towards that as it increases tensions. This largely has only a political effect, as sanctions are already in place against Russia. This heightens political tensions between Germany and Russia, which only worsens the global situation. 

Russia and Germany are very large economies, dominating their areas in the world. Russian and German societies vary widely, with business practices in the two countries being very different. Both have recently recovered from the fall of the Soviet Union, and even the effects of World War 2 can still be seen in both countries. Both are large exporters, with much of Europe relying on Russian gas and oil. Germany is a powerhouse in Europe, with main industries being automotive and chemical exports. The situation between these two countries, as well as the world, continues to be watched very closely as the war in Ukraine rages on. It is likely that more countries will be forced to involve themselves with the war as it progresses. 

The article itself, apnews, is reliable, offering an unbiased look at current world events. The audience is mostly US and European citizens, who are looking to keep up with the current events happening. The impact of the phone leak is likely minimal. Most countries were already aware of Germany’s involvement in the war and their plans to continue support for Ukraine. The phone leak mainly serves as a way to publicly humiliate Germany, with Russia showing it’s ability to listen in on and spy on Germany military happenings and conversations with ease. This will mainly affect the German government and military as they work to contain the leak and tighten security. 

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