On December 15, 2025, Blaise Metreweli, the newly appointed chief of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), stepped into the spotlight with a message that was as direct as it was sobering. In her first public speech since assuming the helm in October, Metreweli—who made history as the first woman to lead MI6 in its 116-year existence—warned that an “aggressive, expansionist, and revisionist” Russia under President Vladimir Putin is waging a campaign of chaos across Europe and beyond, with the United Kingdom squarely in its sights.
Speaking from MI6 headquarters in London, Metreweli painted a picture of a world in flux, where “the front line is everywhere” and the rules of conflict are being rewritten by hostile actors. “Putin should be in no doubt, our support is enduring. The pressure we apply on Ukraine’s behalf will be sustained,” she declared, according to advance extracts published by The Economic Times. Her words echoed through the corridors of power, signaling that Britain’s commitment to Ukraine remains steadfast, even as the war drags on and the threat landscape grows more complex.
Metreweli’s speech was more than a warning—it was a call to arms for Britain and its allies to adapt to a rapidly changing security environment. She described Russia’s approach to international engagement as one that deliberately exports instability. “The export of chaos is a feature, not a bug in the Russian approach to international engagement, and we should be ready for this to continue until Putin is forced to change his calculus,” she said. This sentiment was echoed by CNN, which noted that Metreweli’s message was aimed not just at the Kremlin but at the British public, urging vigilance and resilience in the face of mounting threats.
Analysts, as cited by CNN, believe Russia is waging a hybrid war against Western supporters of Ukraine, leveraging cyber attacks, information manipulation, and sabotage. In Britain, police have linked Russia-backed operatives to arson attacks on factories connected to Ukraine. Across Europe, drones have disrupted airports, NATO airspace has been breached over Poland and Romania, and undersea cables in the Baltic Sea have suffered mysterious damage—incidents that raise the specter of sabotage, though Moscow has denied responsibility.
Metreweli’s address also underscored the acute threat posed by Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics. As reported by the BBC, she highlighted the use of cyber attacks and drones suspected to be launched by Russian proxies near critical infrastructure. These incidents, she warned, are not isolated; they are part of a broader strategy to destabilize the West and undermine NATO’s cohesion. “Russia has made it clear that it wishes to challenge, limit, divide and ultimately destroy NATO,” said Sir Richard Knighton, Britain’s Chief of the Defence Staff, in a separate speech on the same day. Knighton called for a “whole of society approach” to defense, emphasizing that resilience must extend beyond the military to encompass universities, industry, transportation, and even the National Health Service.
Sanctions have been a key tool in the West’s response to Russian aggression. Since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Britain has targeted Russian business figures, political leaders, companies, ships, and entities—including the entire GRU military intelligence agency—with a raft of punitive measures. While these sanctions have damaged Russia’s economy, driving exports eastward toward China and India, they have not deterred Putin from pursuing his objectives in Ukraine. “Western sanctions have certainly damaged Russia’s economy, but they have singularly failed to change President Putin’s determination to wage war on Ukraine until it gives in to his demands,” observed the BBC.
But Russia is not the only concern. Metreweli noted that the UK government has also imposed sanctions on organizations and individuals responsible for disseminating Russian information warfare, as well as on two Chinese companies accused of “massive and indiscriminate cyber activity against Britain and its allies,” according to CNN and the Daily Mail. These measures reflect a growing recognition that the threat landscape is both global and multifaceted, with state and non-state actors exploiting technology to undermine Western democracies.
Technology, in fact, emerged as a central theme of Metreweli’s speech. Drawing on her background as the former head of MI6’s technology and innovation teams—known as “Q” in the parlance of James Bond—she argued that mastery of technology must permeate every aspect of intelligence work. “Mastery of technology must infuse everything we do. Not just in our labs, but in the field, in our tradecraft, and even more importantly, in the mindset of every officer. We must be as comfortable with lines of code as we are with human sources, as fluent in Python as we are in multiple languages,” she said, as quoted by The Economic Times and the Daily Mail. Her point was clear: in an age of biometric scanning and ubiquitous surveillance, traditional espionage skills must be paired with technical prowess to keep MI6 relevant and effective.
Metreweli also highlighted recent initiatives to adapt to the new reality. Earlier in 2025, MI6 launched the Silent Courier online portal, allowing individuals anywhere in the world to securely and anonymously share information with British intelligence. This digital outreach follows a trend set by her predecessor, Sir Richard Moore, who in 2023 publicly urged Russian citizens to cooperate with Britain. The move is emblematic of a broader shift toward openness and innovation within the famously secretive agency.
The MI6 chief concluded her speech with a reflection on the broader challenge facing Britain and the world: how to govern powerful technologies wisely. “The defining challenge of the twenty-first century is not simply who wields the most powerful technologies, but who guides them with the greatest wisdom. Our security, our prosperity and our humanity depend on it,” she said, as reported by the Daily Mail. She called for a rediscovery of shared humanity and the courage to make choices that shape the future for the better. “It is not what we can do that defines us, but what we choose to do. That choice—the exercise of human agency—has shaped our world before, and it will shape it again.”
Meanwhile, the debate about Britain’s readiness to meet these challenges is intensifying. Sir Richard Knighton announced £50 million for new defense technical excellence colleges and stressed the need to work with industry and young people to close the skills gap in defense and security. France and Germany have recently outlined plans for voluntary national service, while the UK continues to grapple with how best to mobilize society in the face of mounting uncertainty.
As Metreweli’s remarks reverberate through the UK and its allies, the message is unmistakable: the era of clear front lines is over. In a world where chaos can be exported with a keystroke and alliances are tested daily, resilience, adaptability, and wisdom are more essential than ever.
