Britain’s MI6 chief, Blaise Metreweli, has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of deliberately delaying peace negotiations over the war in Ukraine while testing the West with actions “just below the threshold of war.” Speaking publicly for the first time since taking the helm of Britain’s foreign intelligence service, Metreweli said Putin remains intent on subjugating Ukraine and harassing NATO members.

She highlighted Russia’s use of hybrid tactics, including cyberattacks, drone incursions, arson, sabotage, disinformation, and “aggressive activities in our seas, above and below the waves.” “The export of chaos is a feature, not a bug,” she said, warning that Moscow’s destabilizing actions are likely to continue until Putin is forced to change course.

Metreweli, the first woman to lead MI6, emphasized the growing importance of technology alongside human intelligence, noting that officers must be “as comfortable with lines of code as we are with human sources.”

Her comments coincided with ongoing diplomatic efforts to end nearly four years of conflict, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meeting U.S. and European leaders. The MI6 chief urged vigilance against Russia’s “gray zone” tactics and stressed that Britain must sharpen its intelligence capabilities while upholding ethical standards.

Metreweli’s warning reflects broader Western concerns about hybrid threats from Russia, Iran, and China, with British authorities recently imposing sanctions on Russian media and Chinese tech firms for cyber activities.