The following is an edited transcript of remarks by Lt. Col. (ret.) Ralph Bosshard to the March 2, 2026 EIR Emergency Online Forum, “Epstein and the Bottomless Depravity of the ‘Elites’—Urgent Need for a Cultural Renaissance!” Lt. Col. Bosshard, a veteran of the Swiss Army, served as a military advisor to the OSCE Secretary General. The video is available here.

Thanks a lot, and good evening from Switzerland. I am happy to be with you again today. Of course, the scandals surrounding the activities of [Jeffrey] Epstein have been a topic of discussion here in Switzerland as well, and of course, of his prominent associates. This is not simply an expression of moral depravity, but a characteristic of the system that these people operate. There is such a thing as strategic corruption, which simply involves giving bribes to corrupt governments around the world, and, if that is not enough, to lawmakers as well, and then disguising them in some way; for instance, as development aid, as investment in infrastructure, or similar. In Europe, we have experience with that. Road construction, for instance, was one of the Italian Mafia’s major areas of activity. This scheme can easily be repeated in other, similar areas around the world.

A second example that I’ve experienced myself on the ground in Ukraine, is ammunition deliveries, which are particularly well suited, because no one can trace where ammunition ends up. Nor does anybody go into the combat zone to count the impact. I never did. Ammunition that was never manufactured is still paid for, and its transport—that never took place by the way—was paid for, too. Then rounds, shells, and bombs are being fired and can no longer be traced. That’s an ideal method of money laundering.

As you can see, there are plenty of people who are profiting from the current war, as well as from the reconstruction of Ukraine in the future. A member of the Azov Battalion told me this very bluntly years ago in Mariupol. Before the war, he had been a building contractor, but now, he said, the destruction of houses was booming. I called it cynically, warm demolition. Afterwards, he will rebuild the very same houses, the destruction of which he has participated in himself. So, that’s a long-term business strategy.

Another field of activity, of course, is prostitution. Of course, what men and women do behind closed doors is none of the authorities’ business. In this area, it is difficult to provide watertight evidence. The involvement of diplomats from the European Union’s Foreign Action Service was surprising. In particular, it has been discussed in the press. Ambassadors who appeared at diplomatic events, accompanied by escort girls, young women, I would even say provided by a member of parliament, are one example that I’ve experienced myself. An article about the abuses of EU diplomacy in Moldova, for instance, published years ago, is no longer online. It was too sensitive. It was taken offline. But when I hear about Epstein, I think this is all still harmless. What they reveal is beyond the imagination of ordinary people. I mean, years ago, I was asked by the St. Gallen City Police here in Switzerland if I could establish a channel of communication with the Ukrainian police in investigations into trafficking in child pornography. As long as people like Oleh Liashko have influence, and probably still do have, this will hardly be possible. That was the disappointing answer that I had to give my colleagues in St. Gallen.

I’m currently assisting a Swiss lawyer in a legal dispute between so-called refugees in Switzerland who are affiliated with criminal gangs from Ukraine. Defrauding refugees has become a common practice for organized crime, but there is more to it than that: drug trafficking, threats, attempted homicide, arson, and more. It looks to me as if the Ukrainian intelligence services are using organized crime to silence critics abroad, or even kill them outright.

In conclusion, I would like to say that corrupt and sometimes criminal governments, government representatives in Western Europe, are corrupting other countries. Primarily, of course, those that are, so to speak, cheap to buy. This shows a complete disregard for the sovereignty of other peoples and their dignity in general. Eastern Europe and the Global South must also defend themselves against this, because it destabilizes societies and entire states. Behind this is, in all places, the European Union, which constantly complains about the destabilizing effect of Russian disinformation. At the very end, the thief shouts, “Stop the thief.” So, the defense of the integrity of our communities is at the core of the defense, and military defense will be useless if we do not succeed in this new kind of warfare, I would call it.

So, with these words, thanks a lot for your attention. I’m looking forward to your questions in the discussions. Unfortunately, I will have to leave very soon. Thanks a lot.