During the closing remarks of this year’s BRICS summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin vehemently dismissed assertions made by MI5 chief Ken McCallum that Russia is trying to incite chaos in the UK and Europe, labeling them as “utter rubbish.”
Responding to McCallum’s claims that Russian military intelligence is on a “sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets,” which has included incidents of arson and sabotage, Putin stated that the challenges faced “on the streets of European cities” are a consequence of actions taken by European authorities themselves.
The BRICS summit, held in Kazan, Russia, was promoted by the Kremlin as “the largest foreign policy event ever held” by Russia. The original BRICS group—comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—has since expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Malaysia have formally applied for membership, with several other nations expressing interest. Despite ongoing efforts by Western countries to isolate Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, 36 countries attended the summit.
Putin also indicated that Russia is open to exploring options for peace agreements regarding the ongoing conflict. “We are prepared to consider any options for peace agreements based on the realities on the ground, and we are not ready for anything else,” he stated.
In response to U.S. claims that North Korea has sent troops to Russia, Putin neither confirmed nor denied the allegation but noted that it is up to Moscow to decide how to proceed in accordance with a mutual defense agreement with North Korea.
The U.S. has reported seeing evidence of North Korean troop deployments—estimated at around 3,000 troops—for potential use in Ukraine, which is viewed by Western nations as a significant escalation. When asked about satellite images showing North Korean troop movements, Putin remarked, “Images are a serious thing. If there are images, then they reflect something.”
Credit: Sky News
