The head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service will warn that Russia represents an aggressive, expansionist, and revisionist threat in her first public speech since taking office. Blaise Metreweli, who became MI6 chief in October, will deliver the address on Monday, according to advance extracts released ahead of the speech. She will underline Britain’s long-term commitment to confronting Russian actions and supporting Ukraine amid the ongoing war.
Metreweli succeeded Richard Moore and became the first woman to lead MI6 in the organisation’s 116-year history. The role is publicly known by the codename “C” and carries responsibility for Britain’s foreign intelligence operations.
Warning to Moscow and Support for Ukraine
In her remarks, Metreweli will deliver a direct message to the Kremlin. She will say President Vladimir Putin should not doubt Britain’s resolve and long-term backing for Ukraine. She will state that the pressure Britain applies on Ukraine’s behalf will remain sustained and consistent.
Metreweli will also accuse Russia of deliberately destabilising the international system. She will say the export of chaos forms a central part of Moscow’s foreign engagement strategy rather than an unintended consequence. According to her remarks, Britain and its allies must remain prepared for this behaviour to continue until Putin reassesses his strategic calculations.
Sanctions and Diplomatic Context
Britain has imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The measures target Russian business figures, senior political leaders, companies, ships, and state-linked entities. Britain has also sanctioned the GRU military intelligence agency in its entirety, reflecting the scale of London’s response.
Metreweli’s speech comes as diplomatic efforts continue in Europe. Over the weekend, Germany hosted delegations from the United States and Ukraine for talks on a potential ceasefire framework. Those discussions preceded a summit in Berlin later on Monday that will bring together European leaders to assess the security situation and coordinate next steps.
Focus on Technology and Modern Threats
Metreweli will also stress the need for intelligence agencies to accelerate their use of advanced technology. She will argue that modern threats demand a workforce that combines traditional espionage skills with deep technical expertise. Her remarks will highlight terrorism and information warfare as growing challenges that require new tools and approaches.
She will say mastery of technology must shape every aspect of intelligence work. According to her speech, officers must feel as comfortable writing lines of code as handling human sources. She will add that fluency in programming languages such as Python now matters as much as fluency in foreign languages.
Military Leaders Echo Concerns
Separately, the head of Britain’s armed forces, Richard Knighton, will deliver a speech on Monday calling for a whole-society approach to national defence. He will warn of growing uncertainty and rising threats, including an increased probability of Russia attempting to invade a NATO country. Knighton will argue that resilience across society remains essential to deter future aggression.
