Madam Chair.
The OSCE exists to support security in our region. That is why the United Kingdom has tabled this current issue today: to put on the record in this Council recent decisions the United Kingdom Government has taken to safeguard our security from malign activities and interference by one participating State. I am doing so to provide this information to participating States on an equal basis, in the spirit of transparency.
In the UK Parliament on 8 May 2024, the UK Home Secretary announced the UK's response to reckless and dangerous activities by the Russian government. His statement set out a package of measures in relation to this malign activity.
I am sure you will appreciate that the situation is part of an ongoing legal and judicial process so we cannot provide a running commentary. However, in line with the OSCE's core principles, we are keen to maintain transparency and to ensure that you hear the facts. These are as follows:
Five British men have been charged with offences, including under the UK's National Security Act 2023, in relation to activity intended to benefit Russia. It is alleged that one of these men conducted his activities following his engagement with an individual associated with the Wagner Group.
Whilst criminal proceedings will bring the individuals responsible to justice, we will continue to ensure that we will take all measures necessary to protect the United Kingdom from the threat Russia poses to it. My Home Secretary announced a number of such measures in the UK parliament last week.
The UK and our partners have attributed a number of malign cyber activity incidents in the UK to the Russian Federal Security Service in recent years. These include targeting UK parliamentarians through spear-phishing campaigns, hacking and leaking UK-US trade documents and interference against a UK think tank working on defending democracy against disinformation.
In the wider OSCE area, the UK is deeply concerned at the broader pattern of suspected Russia malign activities - including attempted sabotage operations and espionage, for which a number of people are currently on trial in Germany and Poland; cyber and disinformation activities; air space violations; and GPS jamming with impact on civilian aviation.
Since the full-scale illegal invasion of Ukraine, the rhetoric, threats, and accusations from Russia have only increased, as Putin seeks to justify the death and destruction he has brought to Ukraine. These activities bear all the hallmarks of a deliberate campaign, by Russia, designed to 'to bring the war home' across Europe and undermine our collective resolve to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
This will not work.
It is clear to us that Russia poses an acute threat to the UK's national security. We believe that it also poses a threat to the security of our wider OSCE region. We take our obligation to protect our people, places, and values very seriously. We will actively deter and defend against the full spectrum of threats emanating from Russia, working in partnership with others.
And in this Council, we will continue to defend the shared commitments and principles that should underpin security for our region but which one participating State - in particular - continues to disregard.
Madam Chair. Our message to Russia is clear: stop this illegal war; withdraw your troops from Ukraine; cease your malign activities and respect the OSCE principles and commitments that keep us all safe.
