UK's MI6 Chief Claims No Evidence of Putin Seeking Ukraine Peace

Istanbul, Sep 19 (AP) — There's "absolutely no evidence" suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to negotiating peace in Ukraine, according to the head of the UK's foreign intelligence service. In his departing speech, Richard Moore, the chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, more commonly known as MI6, stated that Putin is "stringing us along." He seeks to impose his imperial will by all means at his disposal. But he cannot succeed," Moore asserted. "Bluntly, Putin has bitten off more than he can chew. He thought he was going to win an easy victory. But he - and many others - underestimated the Ukrainians." Moore delivered his remarks at the British consulate in Istanbul, marking the end of his five-year tenure as head of MI6. He is set to step down at the end of September, making way for the agency's first female chief.

During Moore's leadership, Russia initiated its comprehensive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and continues, primarily in eastern Ukraine. Moore observed that the invasion reinforced Ukrainian national identity and expedited its westward alignment, alongside prompting Sweden and Finland to join NATO.

“Putin has sought to convince the world that Russian victory is inevitable. But he lies. He lies to the world. He lies to his people. Perhaps he even lies to himself,” Moore remarked at a news conference. Referring to Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov, who conditioned dogs to respond to a bell, Moore described a call from the Russian president as being "the equivalent of Pavlov's tinkling bell inside the Kremlin, eliciting learned behaviour to tell Putin whatever it is the system thinks he wants to hear." He noted that Putin is "mortgaging his country's future for his own personal legacy and a distorted version of history," and he suggested that the war is "accelerating this decline."

Having previously served as the UK's ambassador to Ankara, Moore added, "Greater powers than Russia have failed to subjugate weaker powers than Ukraine." Analysts contend that Putin is betting on outlasting the political commitment of Ukraine’s Western allies, hoping to win a drawn-out war of attrition by overwhelming Ukraine's smaller military with superior numbers.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is swiftly expanding its defense partnerships with other nations and securing billions of dollars for its domestic weapons industry. Moore commented as MI6 introduced a dark web portal labeled “Silent Courier,” designed for potential intelligence contacts to reach the service securely. The platform aims to recruit new spies for the UK, including within Russia. “To those men and women in Russia who have truths to share and the courage to share them, I invite you to contact MI6,” Moore concluded. (AP) SKS SKS

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