Ex-MI6 chief: Russia carrying out acts of war as Trump eases diesel sanctions

A former head of MI6 has warned that Russia is not at war with the West but is carrying out 'acts of war' through hybrid attacks, as the UK continues to weigh its support for Ukraine. His comments came after the head of MI5, Ken McCallum, said his service was devoting more resources to protecting the UK from hostile states than at any point in its history.

The former MI6 chief, who stepped down in 2014, said he was not surprised. He described a more assertive and aggressive Russia, a changed China and a worsening situation with Iran. Terrorism still absorbs effort, he said, but the most visible threats are Russia, followed by Iran. He said Putin is pushing the West 'unbelievably far' with drone and cyber attacks just short of what would constitute actual war under NATO's articles.

The coverage set out the scale of suspected Russian hybrid attacks in Europe from 2018 to 2025. These are generally non-military actions such as cyber attacks, sabotage and misinformation. Russian sabotage operations in Europe almost quadrupled between 2023 and 2024. Recent examples cited include:

• a drone strike on Leipzig airport;
• Russian submarines lingering in UK waters;
• an arson attack targeting Keir Starmer's house.

The former MI6 chief said that if the drone over Leipzig had exploded, it would have been a very serious attack on NATO territory. He linked the hybrid campaign to Putin's frustration at a lack of progress in Ukraine, saying Putin was switching focus to strategic bombing inside Ukraine and attacks on morale in western Europe to undermine support for Kyiv. More such attacks should be expected.

The former MI6 chief also criticised Donald Trump's decision to ease sanctions on Russia to obtain more diesel. He called it 'very disappointing' and said Trump was unpredictable. In his view, the conflicts in the Gulf and Ukraine are coming together, with links through Iranian support for Russia and Russian support for Iran. He argued that Trump's failure to make progress in the Gulf and the effect on petrol and oil prices had led him to use Ukraine as a scapegoat. Trump, he said, believes he can bully Ukraine into concessions and break Ukrainian resistance over what will be a hard winter. The former MI6 chief said Putin is not interested in early negotiations that require concessions from him, and that there will be no long-term peace between Russia and Ukraine while Putin is president.

The broadcast also examined UK public opinion. Polling from the British Foreign Policy Group suggested just 17 per cent of people in the UK think supporting Ukraine should be one of the country's top foreign policy priorities. Higher priorities included limiting the economic consequences of the Iran war, dealing with more fallout from Trump's actions, strengthening the relationship with the European Union, and bolstering national security. But when asked about the greatest challenge to UK security, the top answer was Russian aggression.

Earlier, the UK prime minister met Volodymyr Zelensky at Downing Street. Zelensky accused Donald Trump and Elon Musk of sabotaging Ukraine's defence against Russia. The prime minister wants to support Zelensky, but the UK economy is already feeling the impact of energy price shocks and the government has pledged 25 billion pounds to Ukraine since the invasion. Ministers are therefore treading a careful line between the cost of living and helping to secure Europe's eastern flank.

The former MI6 chief also discussed Russian interference in the Brexit referendum. He said it was difficult to judge the exact nature of Russian interference, but that Russia was keen for the Leave campaign to succeed because it would marginalise Britain as a global player and weaken Europe. He said the leaders of the Leave campaign 'rather fell into it'. However, he said it was a stretch to think Russian interference influenced the outcome, adding that he doubted Russian interference changed the result of the 2016 US election. The aim, he said, was to undermine popular confidence in the system and strengthen populist parties of the far right and far left, with some success in Europe. He noted a long tradition of Russian interference dating back to the Cold War.