The United Kingdom plans to add all individuals who cooperate with the Russian state to the Foreign Intelligence Register (FIRS). This initiative is aimed at limiting Russian influence in the country, Security Minister Dan Jarvis said in parliament. This was reported by Reuters.
“Russia poses a direct threat to the UK’s national security. From the chemical attack in Salisbury to cyberattacks and arson attacks, the Kremlin is waging a hybrid war against the West,” the British official said.
The Kremlin’s tough response
Russia reacted categorically to this statement. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova harshly criticised the move, calling it “the intellectual inferiority of the British elite” and “paranoid schizophrenia”.
“The once glorious British leaders, soldiers who fought against Nazism, are now sullying themselves by looking for fictitious ties with Russia,” Zakharova said.
The threat of conflict and geopolitical tensions
European leaders have repeatedly warned that after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moscow could threaten NATO countries. Western intelligence agencies accuse the Kremlin of a global campaign of sabotage.
Russia denies these accusations, calling them “anti-Russian hysteria”. At the same time, according to Reuters, the UK has become a major target of Kremlin criticism, especially as the Donald Trump administration attempts to improve relations with Moscow.
