MI6 chief calls on Russians to spy for Britain

Richard Moore, the outgoing chief of the United Kingdom’s foreign intelligence service, MI6, invited Russians to spy against Vladimir Putin while introducing the Silent Courier platform in Istanbul.

Moore said that Russians should spy for Britain to “reclaim their country’s honor.”

In his final public speech as head of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS, or more commonly, MI6), he claimed that Vladimir Putin is “playing us for time” in Ukraine and that the Kremlin wants “nothing less than Ukraine’s surrender.”

Moore stated, “Ultimately, if we are patient, Putin will have to accept the reality that he must make a choice: risk an economic and political crisis that threatens his own power, or make a sensible deal.”

Speaking in Istanbul, Moore asserted that Russia is much weaker than many people believe and is “accelerating this decline.”

This statement follows comments from US President Donald Trump, who, during a press conference on an official visit to the United Kingdom, said he was “truly disappointed” by Putin. Trump had previously claimed he could end the war one day after entering the White House.

In his speech, where he launched a new dark web portal for sending sensitive information directly to MI6, Moore continued:

“Putin has overreached. He is lying to the world. He is lying to his people. Perhaps he is even lying to himself. Putin is mortgaging his country’s future. Russia’s economy, demographics, and tools for projecting imperial power are in long-term decline, and Putin’s war is accelerating that decline. Powers greater than Russia have failed to subdue powers weaker than Ukraine.”

In his final public address, the spy chief also reflected on his time as the head of MI6.

Moore noted with regret that only 40% of his agency’s staff are women and that the proportion of ethnic minorities is “just under 10%.” However, he pointed to “some measurable successes,” stating that many more women are in leadership roles at MI6 than five years ago, including in intelligence operations in the United Kingdom and abroad, as well as in the spy agency’s technical teams.

Praising MI6’s “agility,” Moore recounted that CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently told him, “you guys really punch above your weight.”

Moore will hand over his duties to Blaise Metreweli on October 1. Metreweli will be the 18th chief of MI6.

The MI6 chief said he looks forward to reflecting on his career “in private,” adding, “I am now hanging up my cloak, returning my imaginary dagger to its sheath, and passing on my famous green pen.”

The MI6 chief, who previously served in Istanbul, emphasized that he “did not choose it for purely sentimental reasons.” He said, “I did so because Türkiye is, as it has been for centuries, a country of vital importance to the international system. In almost every issue I have dealt with as Chief of MI6, Türkiye has played a key role.”

Moore pointed out that NATO ally Türkiye is a “staunch supporter of Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence.” He stated, “It has been particularly moved by the plight of its ethnic kin, the Crimean Tatars, but above all, it has adhered to international law and the UN Charter.”

Regarding its eastern neighbors, Moore noted that Türkiye, like the UK, has an interest in “a stable Caucasus and Central Asia, free from malign external influences.” He added, “As for its southern neighbors, we have fought together against the so-called Islamic State terrorists and have worked to support the stability of a post-Assad Syria.”

The MI6 chief also admitted to establishing contact with the Al-Qaeda affiliate Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham “a year or two before” efforts to overthrow Bashar al-Assad, saying the United Kingdom government “paved a way for it to return to the country within a few weeks.”

Moore asserted that both countries “share the same revulsion at the brutal attack of October 7” and “are saddened by the terrible suffering of innocent Palestinians in Gaza.” He concluded, “We believe that lasting security and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians can only be achieved through a two-state solution. In all these efforts, I have been able to work closely with MİT leaders Hakan Fidan and now İbrahim Kalın. Both are excellent professionals and loyal friends.”