The head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, the foreign spy service known as MI6, has warned that Russia "remains an aggressive and expansionist threat", vowing sustained support for Ukraine and calling for greater use of technology to protect UK security.
In her first public speech since taking office in October, MI6 Chief Blaise Metreweli is expected to accuse Moscow of exporting instability as part of its global strategy.
Metreweli will also say President Vladimir Putin should be in “no doubt” about Britain’s continued backing of Ukraine, according to advance extracts of her remarks.
"(Vladimir) Putin should be in no doubt, our support is enduring.The pressure we apply on Ukraine's behalf will be sustained," Metreweli will say on Monday.
She will also say that pressure on Russia will continue until Putin is forced to change his approach, describing chaos as a deliberate feature of Russian foreign policy.
"The export of chaos is a feature not a bug in the Russian approach to international engagement, and we should be ready for this to continue until Putin is forced to change his calculus."
Metreweli will also highlight the need to ramp up the use of technology to tackle threats to UK security, including terrorism and information warfare. She is expected to say intelligence officers must be as skilled in coding as they are in traditional espionage, calling for technology to be embedded across all areas of intelligence work.
"Mastery of technology must infuse everything we do. Not just in our labs, but in the field, in our tradecraft, and even more importantly, in the mindset of every officer. We must be as comfortable with lines of code as we are with human sources, as fluent in Python as we are in multiple languages," she will say.
She is the first woman to lead MI6 service in its 116-year history after replacing Sir Richard Moore.
Over the weekend and last week, Germany has been hosting talks involving the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations on a potential ceasefire deal, ahead of a summit in Berlin later on Monday (15 December) with European leaders.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK has imposed sanctions on Russian business figures, political leaders, companies and ships, including the GRU military intelligence agency.
Richard Knighton, head of Britain's armed forces, will also call in a separate speech on Monday for a "whole society" approach to defence in the face of growing uncertainty and threats, and highlight an increased probability of Russia invading a NATO country.
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U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday praised “brave” British soldiers and hailed their sacrifice in Afghanistan, a day after his remarks suggesting NATO forces stayed away from the front lines sparked anger in Britain and across Europe.
The United Kingdom has said it will not yet join U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, citing concerns over the potential involvement of Russia, the country’s foreign secretary said on Thursday.
The UK government has announced a major boost to its air defences, awarding a £453 million contract to upgrade radar systems on Typhoon fighter jets.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has strongly rejected a U.S. magazine report on the death toll during January unrest. Nationwide protests erupted in response to soaring inflation and a national currency crisis.
The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran has climbed to 6,126, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, often viewed as a bellwether for the complex diplomatic currents between the Kremlin and the West, has issued a startling prediction regarding the endgame of the war in Ukraine.
The strategic axis between Israel and Azerbaijan has been significantly reinforced this week as President Ilham Aliyev received Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar in Baku.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Monday that Europe is "incapable" of defending itself alone without the United States, dismissing calls for a separate European defence force and stressing that transatlantic cooperation remains essential for the continent’s security.
Three Dutch parties have agreed to form a minority coalition that will install D66 leader Rob Jetten as the country’s youngest prime minister.
Storm Chandra brought severe flooding and widespread disruption to parts of Ireland and Northern Ireland on Tuesday, as strong winds and heavy rain swept across the island.
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The European Parliament has delayed until next week a decision on whether to resume work on the EU–U.S. trade deal.
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that Washington would withdraw its support for Iraq if former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki is returned to power, citing concerns over governance, stability and regional influence.
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