Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has warned that the Kremlin views the UK as a top target, describing Britain as the "great evil" on the edge of Europe, with Russian forces already operating off the country's shores.
Streeting delivered the assessment at a Fabian Society fringe event at the Labour Party conference, held in Liverpool on Sunday (September 27). He said: "It is a sad truth, but when the Kremlin looks across Europe, they don't see us as we see ourselves."
Britain's border with Russia
"They see Britain as the great evil on the other side of Europe, and yet here we are sat in England saying we don't want war with Russia," he added. "We don't seek to provoke Russia and we have no quarrel with the Russian people. What we do object to though is Putin's imperialism."
Streeting rejected the notion that Putin's war machine is restricted to the frontlines of Ukraine, revealing that Russian forces are actively testing NATO and probing British waters. He pointed to Russia's "shadow fleet" mapping key undersea communications cables, alongside dangerous military manoeuvres.
Military spending increase
"We sometimes talk about the Russian threat and the border as if the border is far away on the other side of our continent," Streeting said. "We've got an enormous border with Russia that we share. It's all around us. It's the North Sea and the high north, so we have to be vigilant."
The cabinet minister warned that the Russian threat has forced the Labour government to ramp up military spending at the fastest pace since the Cold War, ensuring Putin knows Britain and its allies stand ready to respond to any attack.
Preventing conflict
"The agenda here is not to be fighting a war with Russia," he said. "It is to prevent the prospects and to reduce the prospect of such a scenario coming about because Russia will know that Britain and our allies have the capability and the resolve to respond should any NATO ally be attacked."
Warning that dictators only understand strength, he added: "History teaches us that when tyrants like Putin prevail, they come back for more. If they succeed in Ukraine, they will try elsewhere. And then we will find ourselves in a much more precarious position."
US commitment to Europe
Streeting also dismissed fears that US President Donald Trump and his administration are gradually abandoning Europe to face the threat alone. He claimed Trump's demands for European allies to spend more on defence prove Washington cares about keeping Europe safe.
"I think there's been a misreading that somehow America is pulling back from Europe and President Trump isn't focused on or doesn't care about Europe. That is a complete misrepresentation," he said. "I think the reason why Trump challenges Europe to spend more on defence is precisely because America cares about the strength of its allies here in Europe and worries about the security situation."
