Britain's new MI6 chief has warned the UK is operating in a "space between peace and war," with Russia posing an escalating threat through tactics that deliberately remain below the threshold of open conflict. Blaise Metreweli delivered the stark assessment in her first major public speech since becoming the first woman to lead the intelligence service.
The 48-year-old spymaster, who took charge in September, used her inaugural address at MI6's London headquarters to outline profound shifts in global power—warning that control over technology is transferring from governments to corporations and individuals. She characterized Russia as "aggressive, expansionist and revisionist," while pledging enduring British support for Ukraine.
Russia's Grey Zone Tactics
Metreweli detailed how Moscow is "testing us in the grey zone with tactics that are just below the threshold of war." These operations include cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, drones buzzing airports and military bases, aggressive maritime activity, state-sponsored arson and sabotage, and extensive propaganda campaigns designed to exploit societal divisions.
"Alongside the grinding war, Russia is testing us in the grey zone with tactics that are just below the threshold of war," she said.
The MI6 chief accused President Vladimir Putin of "dragging out negotiations" over Ukraine while shifting war costs onto his own population.
Power Shift to Tech Giants
The spymaster emphasized a fundamental transformation in global power dynamics. "Power itself is becoming more diffuse, more unpredictable as control over these technologies is shifting from states to corporations and sometimes to individuals," Metreweli warned.
She cautioned that advanced algorithms could "become as powerful as states," creating new vectors for conflict and control. The warning comes as figures like Elon Musk—who controls social media platform X and Starlink satellite communications crucial to Ukraine—wield unprecedented influence over critical infrastructure and information flows.
Information Warfare
Metreweli painted a bleak picture of how adversaries weaponize information to erode societal trust. "Information, once a unifying force, is increasingly weaponised. Falsehood spreads faster than fact, dividing communities and distorting reality," she stated in her address.
"The algorithms flatter our biases and fracture our public squares. And as trust collapses, so does our shared sense of truth – one of the greatest losses a society can suffer," the intelligence chief added.
Enduring Ukraine Support
Despite uncertainty around future US involvement under Donald Trump, Metreweli made Britain's position clear. "Putin should be in no doubt, our support is enduring. The pressure we apply on Ukraine's behalf will be sustained," she declared.
She described the support as "fundamental not just to European sovereignty and security but to global stability." The pledge comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky engages in peace talks in Berlin.
Technology Mastery
The MI6 chief outlined plans to transform the intelligence service for the technology age. "Mastery of technology must infuse everything," she said, adding that officers must become "as comfortable with lines of code as we are with human sources, as fluent in Python as we are in multiple other languages."
Metreweli's background includes running MI6's technology department—known as Q branch—before her appointment as chief. Her speech acknowledged that "our world is more dangerous and contested now than for decades," with nations being contested "from sea to space, from the battleground to the boardroom, and even our brains as disinformation manipulates our understanding of each other and ourselves."
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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