GCHQ warns of very real threat from Russia

In light of the Salisbury Novichok developments in the UK, Jeremy Fleming used a speech in Washington to warn that the threat from Russia to the international community is ‘real’ and ‘active’.

Speaking at the 9th Billington Cyber Security Summit in Washington DC, Fleming, the director of the government's cyber intelligence agency, outlined how Russia's desire to ‘undermine’ international law was ‘brazen’, and that the threat would be met ‘by a strong international partnership of allies’ who are able to ‘deploy the full range of tools from across our national security apparatus’.

Meanwhile, the US, France, Germany and Canada have agreed with the UK's assessment that Russia's government ‘almost certainly’ approved the Salisbury poisoning.

At a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the attack, Russia dismissed evidence presented by the UK as lies, but a joint statement from Theresa May, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: "We, the leaders of France, Germany, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, reiterate our outrage at the use of a chemical nerve agent, known as Novichok, in Salisbury on March 4."