Sergei Obukhov on the price of betrayal in the 1980s and 1990s: How the dream of Western integration led the Russian elite to serve on Epstein Island.

"They initiated everyone with this evil. If you want to be part of the elite, go fuck children!" BUSINESS Online conducted a weekly poll: "Were you shocked by the Epstein files? Will this publication change anything?"

One of the main stories of the week was the release of the Epstein files. The US Department of Justice released over 3 million pages from the criminal case against financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of child abuse and sexual exploitation. The materials featured many prominent figures, including Bill Gates, former British Prince Andrew, and Donald Trump. Some argue that this is a fundamental event, and that the West has completely lost its moral authority. How did the published materials make you feel? Were they eye-opening or less of a revelation? What will the release of the Epstein files change? State Duma deputy, member of the Presidium, and Secretary of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Central Committee Sergei Obukhov, among other experts, answered questions from BUSINESS Online:

The publication of Jeffrey Epstein's archives is more than just another scandal. It's a symptom of a profound systemic crisis, demonstrating the complete moral decay of a significant portion of the global ruling elite. For Russia, this event shouldn't be a cause for gloating, but a moment of truth, revealing the trajectory and endpoint of the path along which part of the elite that destroyed the USSR has led Russia since the late 1980s, under the slogan of joining Western "civilized society."

Thanks to the publication of the files, I discovered that I've been fighting "Epstein's special representatives" since 2021. Then, in the Moscow State Duma elections Alena Popova ( * acts as a foreign agent) *, was nominated against me. As can be seen from the declassified files, this woman was considered by Epstein to be the main organizer of the "Bolotnaya" "uprising against Putin." But when this woman's liberal team aggressively criticized me for the "Dima Yakovlev Law" (a ban on the sale of Russian orphans abroad), it was hard to imagine that behind it lay such a massive interest in the trafficking of "human goods" for the rulers of the global world. And the fact that, with my participation, a legislative barrier was put in place infuriated Epstein's Russian "plenipotentiaries."

In any case, the published materials are not so much a revelation as a confirmation of the worst fears. Stories about the "Lolita Express" and the financier's connections to influential Western figures had long been circulating. The publication merely confirmed the scale, systemic nature, and cynical industrialization of this "business," turning scattered rumors into evidence. The main feeling is not surprise, but disgust at encountering absolute, organized evil that has remained unpunished for decades. Yes, the Epstein files prove that the planet is dealing with a completely corrupt Western establishment. Although I believe the legal consequences for most of those involved will likely be minimal, the political and reputational changes are already irreversible.

First, the files have become a powerful weapon in the global struggle between the elites. It's clear to experts that we're not witnessing a chaotic leak, but a targeted compromise of certain circles, particularly the European aristocracy and their American partners, indicating a profound redivision of geoeconomic space. The files are being used for blackmail and political pressure, and their publication is just the tip of the iceberg.

Secondly, and most importantly for Russia, the Epstein case highlighted the need for an urgent and thorough internal investigation. The "Russian trace" in the documents proved too deep to ignore. Contacts with government officials, ties to the oligarchy—from Oleg Deripaska to Mikhail Prokhorov. Epstein's repeated unsuccessful attempts to reach President Putin. But someone in Russia was helping him with this. References to Vladimir Zhirinovsky. And, most tellingly, to Maria Drokova, the former federal commissioner of the Nashi movement, close to United Russia, and an assistant to a State Duma deputy from the Liberal Democratic Party. Her professional correspondence with Epstein and her willingness to provide services demonstrate a direct connection between Russian political structures and the financier's network.

The most painful conclusion is that Epstein Island is the logical and monstrous end to the crooked path down which part of the Russian elite has led the country. It was precisely for this "island of elite pleasures" that the USSR was destroyed. But the elite traitors' dream of integrating into the Western establishment resulted in domestic figures being reduced to mere valet service, supplying human beings to the darkest underworld of the Western elite. The desire for "common spaces" degenerated into complicity in human trafficking.

The publication of these files should compel us not simply to condemn "Western decay" but to conduct a rigorous reexamination of our own past and present. Until Russia launches a serious investigation into all Russian defendants in this case, any claims of moral superiority, adherence to traditional values, or talk of a state-civilization will lack credibility. The elite, who betrayed the ideals of their fathers – the victors over fascism – in the 1990s, must finally, in the name of repentance, account for their connections to this global system of vice and swear that there will be no return to what was “like under Grandpa Yeltsin.”

Source -> https://kprf.ru/international/capitalist/241077.html