Theresa May accuses Vladimir Putin of ‘cyberespionage and disruption’

Theresa May has accused Moscow of cyberespionage and meddling in elections worldwide, in what the BBC calls “her strongest attack on Russia yet”.

In a speech at the annual Lord Mayor’s Banquet last night, the Prime Minister claimed that Russia was pursuing its own interests “at any cost”, and warned President Vladimir Putin that “we know what you are doing and you will not succeed”. She also called out Russia’s “sustained campaign of cyberespionage and disruption”.

Her comments are at odds with the stance adopted by US President Donald Trump, says Bloomberg News, who last week said he believed Putin’s denials of involvment in election meddling.

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May refuted this, claiming that Russia was “chief among those” who tried to “undermine free societies”. Moscow had been “planting fake stories” to “sow discord in the West”, she said.

May also took aim at Russia’s recent foreign policy decisions, including the country’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the recent violations of European airspace.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, whose position is currently under threat following a series of controversies, is due to travel to Russia in the coming months, which the Prime Minister claims “will provide an opportunity to engage with the leadership in the Kremlin”, reports City AM.

“We do not want to return to the Cold War, or to be in a state of perpetual confrontation,” she added.