Moscow has rebuked Prime Minister Andy Burnham over a UN General Assembly speech in which he accused Russia of spreading falsehoods, arguing that his comments will do nothing to ease tensions across Europe, reports BritPanorama.
Addressing the summit on Tuesday, Burnham announced London would establish a new National Centre for Information Defence, singling out Moscow over what he termed disinformation.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov characterised Burnham’s approach as fundamentally flawed, suggesting it fuels anti-Russian sentiment rather than facilitating dialogue.
“Well, the British prime minister said nothing new. That is the first point. The second is that stoking anti-Russian sentiment and fostering an atmosphere of total Russophobia is what Britain is doing. And now, presumably in unison with Britain, the Germans, the French and a number of other European states are doing the same thing,” said Peskov.
Peskov added, “From our point of view, this is an utterly short-sighted policy. It in no way brings us any closer to any steps that might, in the long term, lead to a reduction in tensions and de-escalation on the European continent.”
Burnham unveiled plans for the new centre as he addressed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, stating it would tackle Russian information warfare.
Russia has previously been accused of using illicitly acquired documents about UK–US trade talks to influence the 2019 general election.
The new unit is initially being led out of the Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet, working alongside intelligence agencies, government departments, the police, and social media companies.
In his speech, Burnham stated that the UK and its allies had been subjected to an “industrial-scale assault” by hostile states, including Russia, to “prey on people’s fear.”
He accused Vladimir Putin’s agencies of interfering in the 2019 general election and of spreading misinformation through falsified newspaper articles.
“It is now ten years since Brexit. My country has lived through the destruction, and it has given us a unique perspective that I want to share with you today,” he told the UN.
Burnham highlighted the need for collective action against misinformation, stating, “In recent years we have seen an industrial-scale assault by hostile actors on the information environment in the UK and many of our allies.”
His reflection on the situation underscores the ongoing complexities of the UK’s interaction with information warfare and international relations in the wake of Brexit and global security challenges.
