In today’s Vatnik Soup, made together with chef invité Martin Laine, we discuss the extensive links between pedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and Russian officials and intelligence operatives, and how Western politicians reinforced these links.

While MAGA influencers remain silent on Epstein, pro-Kremlin propagandists and bot farms have expectedly launched an anti-Ukraine online operation, spreading false narratives that connect Ukraine, its politicians, and the late sex trafficker.

But the e-mails paint a very different picture: in reality, Epstein had very close connections with Russian officials and intelligence operatives, and even built bridges and arranged meetings between MAGA figures and the Kremlin.

Let’s start with Epstein’s visits to Russian intelligence agencies. In one of his Russian visa applications, Epstein listed “MOO Vympel” as the organization to be visited. Vympel is a special forces unit of the FSB/KGB, and MOO Vympel is its veterans’ organization.

So far, this is the clearest documented link between Jeffrey Epstein and Russian intelligence, yet certainly not the only one. In July 2015, Epstein arranged a meeting between former Russian minister and FSB Academy graduate Sergey Belyakov and Peter Thiel, a key Trump sponsor.

In one e-mail, Epstein asked Belyakov to look into a Russian woman he claimed was trying to blackmail powerful businessmen. The FSB Academy graduate replied he would need a few days to get information and soon delivered a profile on her.

Soon after, Epstein drafted a letter that appears to respond to the Russian woman in question. In it, he wrote, “I felt it necessary to contact some friends in FSB.”

This suggests Epstein himself strongly believed Belyakov was FSB.

Another important contact, Russian UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin, was an extremely close friend of Epstein. The two met constantly for coffee and lunch. At one point, Churkin’s son Maxim even began doing “confidential work” for Epstein.

Naturally, this relationship extended to Peter Thiel too: Epstein, Churkin, and the sweaty Palantir billionaire held regular meetings and lunches in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Epstein also organized multiple meetings between Churkin and his friend Tom Barrack. Barrack is a longtime friend and adviser to Donald Trump, and currently serves as US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria in Trump’s administration.

In 2015, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak met Russian oligarchs and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Barak later thanked Epstein for arranging these contacts.

Barak, Thiel, and Epstein were also co-investors in the Israeli surveillance company Carbyne.

In 2017, Churkin died. Epstein then sought to re-establish contact with Russia, offering Lavrov and Putin insight into Donald Trump. He attempted this via former Norwegian PM and diplomat Thorbjørn Jagland, and Jagland was happy to pass the message along.

Thorbjørn acknowledged the sensitivity, asking to keep quiet (“not to make noise”) about a meeting (“same procedure as last time”) that he planned to have with Epstein in Paris after meeting directly with Putin, Lavrov, and Medvedev.

Jagland and Epstein were clearly discussing how to improve Russia’s position in the world while undermining the Western position, and Epstein repeatedly tried to meet Putin through Jagland.

Epstein wrote to MAGA strategist Steve Bannon that “Miro” urged a meeting with Slovak PM Robert Fico about “funding.” “Miro” referred to Miroslav Lajčák, a Fico adviser who later left government after Epstein link revelations.

Epstein and “Miro” also discussed the Lavrov meeting directly.

Epstein: “I’d like to meet Lavrov together.”
Miro: “I love Lavrov.”
“Russia was great. 3.5 hours with Lavrov, ending with a cigar”

They sound so friendly!

Bannon boasted he advised much of the European far right, and even claimed he “brought down the Belgian government in 2018.” At the same time, Epstein kept him in the loop about the Russian side of the equation.

In 2018, Bannon remarked that it was “Epstein’s guy” who helped arrange Putin’s Vienna meeting, most likely referring to Austria’s then chancellor Sebastian Kurz, former leader of the far right FPÖ.

And who does Kurz work for today? Peter Thiel.

Another close Norwegian contact, whose kids were even in Epstein’s will, was diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen with strong Russia ties. He once asked Epstein to check with Bill Burns, later CIA director under Biden, about meeting a deputy head of Russia’s central bank.

In 2019, after years of dispute over the Crimean annexation, Thorbjørn moved toward restoring Russia’s full participation, including voting rights, in the Council of Europe. And Rød-Larsen and Epstein celebrated.

Masha Drokova was a young pro-Putin “Nashi” activist with strong ties to Putin. She later left Russia and began working for Epstein as an adviser.

The working relationship appeared far from professional and involved nude photos.

Epstein advised Goldman Sachs partner Jide Zeitlin on handling sanctions against Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.

He then forwarded the discussion to Steve Bannon, saying “Keeping you in the loop.”

There’s far more in the Russia/Epstein files, especially as many victims were trafficked through Russian “modeling” networks. Beyond the horrific crimes, the files show how Epstein connected corrupt Western actors with Russia to undermine Western democracy.

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