World faces most serious threat since Cold War - US and British intelligence agencies
World faces most serious threat since Cold War (photo: UNIAN)
Britain and the United States believe that the world is under the most serious threat since the Cold War. The reason for this is Russia, state Richard Moore, head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), and Bill Burns, head of the CIA, in their joint statement for the Financial Times.
The heads of the world's leading intelligence agencies emphasized the unprecedented number of threats their countries are currently facing. According to them, the international world order is now “under threat in a way we haven’t seen since the Cold War.”
"The CIA and SIS stand together in resisting an assertive Russia and Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine. We saw it coming, and were able to warn the international community so we could all rally to Ukraine’s defense. We carefully declassified some of our secrets as a new and effective part of this effort,” the heads of MI6 and the CIA said.
The intelligence officials noted that their agencies are working together to counter Russia's aggression and Putin's war against Ukraine.
“Staying the course is more vital than ever. Putin will not succeed in extinguishing Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence. Russia’s actions are a flagrant breach of the UN Charter and global norms. We will continue to aid our brave, resolute Ukrainian intelligence partners. We are proud to do so, and stand in awe of Ukraine’s resilience, innovation and élan,” they said in a joint statement.
Technology in warfare
At the same time, the intelligence chiefs emphasized that the current war in Ukraine has demonstrated the impact of technology on the battlefield.
“This conflict has demonstrated that technology, deployed alongside extraordinary bravery and traditional weaponry, can alter the course of war. Ukraine has been the first war of its kind to combine open-source software with cutting-edge battlefield technology... at such incredible pace and scale. Most of all, it has underlined the imperative to adapt, experiment and innovate,” they added.
Among the threats, the authors also mentioned China, which they called "the principal intelligence and geopolitical challenge of the 21st century," and the resurgence of ISIS.
In the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there are more and more statements emphasizing that the situation is now “the most difficult” or “the most serious.”
For example, last month, EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said that Ukraine should not be abandoned as it is currently preparing for its most difficult winter.
