Former UK security adviser warns of escalating Russian hybrid threats and urges stronger aid for Ukraine

Lord Peter Ricketts, a former top civil servant and the UK’s first national security adviser, warned that Russia’s hybrid warfare could soon result in additional deaths and stressed the need for a public conversation about the looming danger. He argued that Britain should move beyond symbolic gestures and provide concrete military and economic aid to Ukraine, rejecting the idea of the UK serving only as a diplomatic bridge.

Ricketts highlighted that Russian President Vladimir Putin aims to erode morale both in Ukraine and across Europe. The warning comes amid a strained US-Ukraine relationship, with recent US policy shifts affecting sanctions and intelligence cooperation. Despite these frictions, the UK government continues to back Kyiv, including accelerating delivery of air-defence missiles. British troops are also set to join a large NATO exercise in Poland to improve readiness for future security guarantees.