“That is the foundation of the treaty,” he noted, speaking through an interpreter. The pair had earlier held bilateral talks at the Royal Air Force’s nearby base at Northolt. They were expected to discuss the uptick in allegedly Russian-ordered arson attacks in London and elsewhere across Europe, as well as other malign threats, Starmer’s office said in advance. The signing came on the same day as the head of the UK’s top-secret electronic eavesdropping agency GCHQ accused Russia of “relentlessly” targeting critical infrastructure, democratic processes,
supply chains and public trust in Britain and Europe. Delivering an inaugural annual lecture, Anne Keast-Butler detailed how Moscow has been increasing its hybrid activity against some European countries, as she urged the public and businesses to make cyber security “10 times more urgent”. Keast-Butler – appointed GCHQ’s first woman chief in 2023 – noted her agency’s work focused on “disrupting Russia’s efforts to smuggle western tech, fending off cyber attacks, and countering reckless sabotage and assassination attempts”. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Starmer, Tusk, UK-Poland defence pact, RAF Northolt, GCHQ, Anne Keast-Butler, Russian threats, arson attacks, cyber security, hybrid activity