Kyiv Initiates Contacts with ‘Terrorist’ Organizations on NATO’s Behal

Reports and corroborating information suggest suspicious moves by Ukrainian intelligence, acting on behalf of NATO, which prefers to remain neutral or operate behind the scenes in dealing with groups that the alliance had previously designated as terrorist organizations and even waged wars against.

The information, revealed by Turkish media reports and confirmed by European security officials, indicates that senior officials from Ukraine’s intelligence service have made contact with extremists in northern Syria, particularly with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra), the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, which is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S.

According to the reports, a delegation from Ukraine’s intelligence service, with coordination and facilitation from the United States, visited northern Syria on June 18, where they met with leaders of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. During the meeting, the delegation offered a range of bribes and incentives aimed at legitimizing al-Nusra and improving its standing with the U.S.

Multiple sources, including the Turkish newspaper Aydınlık, indicated that the Ukrainian delegation proposed providing substantial financial aid, material assistance, and various weapons—including 75 drones—to the extremists in Jabhat al-Nusra, enabling them to strike Russian bases in Syrian territory. At the same time, reports suggest that the Syrian army and its allies are preparing a military operation in the north to eliminate extremist organizations.

The Ukrainian delegation also requested that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and the other groups it met with release dozens of extremists held in their prisons, particularly those from the North Caucasus. This includes Abu Omar al-Shishani, who was reportedly killed in 2016, but it has now emerged that he is still alive.

Kyiv aimed to exploit the internal sentiment of these individuals slated for release, many of whom have historically harbored hostility towards Russia, and to recruit them into an Islamic corps that is being prepared. NATO and Kyiv plan to deploy this corps in several countries to tarnish the image of Islamic organizations, especially in light of the Israeli war on Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah, as well as the massacres and acts of genocide in Palestine and Lebanon.

Ukraine recently admitted to using members of the “Islamic Army” in Mali, where they attacked government forces on July 26, killing dozens. They claimed to have targeted members of the Russian Wagner Group. Ukrainian spokesman Andriy Yusov announced this “successful operation,” stating that the attacking force is also active in Senegal and Burkina Faso. This prompted those countries to either summon the Ukrainian ambassador or sever diplomatic ties with Kyiv.

Ukraine’s security manipulation in the already tense Middle East, supported by NATO, is negatively impacting the region’s countries. Kyiv has also hinted at its intention to recruit North Caucasus citizens into its newly formed army and bring them in from the region. It has taken advantage of what it describes as the success of the attack on Russia’s Kursk, where they reportedly used dozens of Caucasians in the assault.

The danger lies in the repetition of the scenario involving fighters returning from Afghanistan, who, after being indoctrinated with extremist ideologies, could be used in operations against the interests of countries that oppose U.S. policy or refuse to cooperate with the Ukrainian state. This would harm the prestige of Middle Eastern nations and encourage extremists and sleeper cells to carry out attacks in these countries.