UK Intel Chief Says President Putin Doesn't Show 'Evidence' Efforts To Make Peace In Ukraine

Russian military illustration on the battlefield. (Wikimedia Commons/Mil.ru)

JAKARTA - Russian President Vladimir Putin showed no 'evidence' to seek peace in Ukraine, Britain's intelligence chief said on Friday, warning the Kremlin leader was determined to impose his will on violence.

In a farewell speech at the British Consulate in Istanbul, the Head of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), better known as MI6, Sir Richard Moore, who is about to step down, accused President Putin of "tricking us" with signals of misnegotiation.

"He tried to force his imperial will at all costs. But he didn't succeed," Moore said, quoted by the Daily Sabah September 19.

"Frankly, Putin has taken a greater risk than he can bear. He thinks he will win an easy victory, but he and many others underestimate Ukraine," he added.

Moore, who will end his post in late September after five years as head of the British Secret Intelligence Service, has led MI6 during one of Europe's most volatile security crises in decades.

Russia's massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has killed tens of thousands of people and continues, mostly in the eastern region of the country.

Moore said the invasion had strengthened Ukraine's national identity and accelerated its movement to the west, as well as prompted Sweden and Finland to join NATO.

"Putin has tried to convince the world that Russia's victory is inevitable. But he lied. He lied to the world. He lied to his people. Maybe he even lied to himself," Moore told a news conference.

He said President Putin "departed his country's future for his personal heritage and distorted historical versions," and that the war "accelerated this setback."

Moore, who previously served as British Ambassador to Turkey added, "stronger powers than Russia have failed to conquer weaker powers than Ukraine."

Analysts say President Putin believes he can last longer than Ukraine's Western partner's political commitments, winning a prolonged arithmetic war by weakening smaller Ukrainian soldiers with enormous power.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is working to expand its defense cooperation with other countries and secure billions of dollars in investment in its domestic weapons industry.