MOSCOW – Russia criticized Britain’s elite on Wednesday, accusing them of paranoia and intellectual decline over a proposal to categorize all individuals working for the Russian state under the highest tier of the UK’s upcoming foreign influence registration scheme.
British Security Minister Dan Jarvis stated that entities such as President Vladimir Putin, government agencies, the armed forces, intelligence services, and certain political parties would be required to register under the initiative, set to commence on July 1.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry, denounced the move as evidence of Britain’s deteriorating leadership. “The intellectual decline afflicting Britain’s ruling class has reached its peak,” she remarked, calling the policy a display of “paranoid schizophrenia.”
She further criticized the UK’s stance, drawing comparisons to Britain’s historical leadership. “The heirs of Britain’s great leaders, the soldiers who fought against Nazism, are now consumed by hysteria, desperately searching for links to Russia.”
Western European leaders have repeatedly warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine raises concerns about a potential threat to NATO allies. Intelligence agencies have also accused Moscow of conducting a worldwide sabotage campaign. Russia, however, denies these allegations, asserting that it has no intention of attacking NATO members and arguing that Western nations are fueling anti-Russian sentiment to distract from their own domestic issues.
As the United States, under Donald Trump, seeks to mend relations with Moscow and mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine, Britain has emerged as the primary adversary in Russian political rhetoric, replacing Washington as Moscow’s chief public antagonist.