A recent high-profile panel discussion [1] hosted by The Independent and moderated by World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley featured Sir Alex Younger, former MI6 chief, and Rachel Ellehuus of RUSI (Royal United Services Institute), an organization deeply intertwined with BAE Systems. The panel’s composition was telling: their hawkish agenda was carefully packaged in casual attire and conversational tone, from vocabulary to demeanor, mimicking a weekend fireside chat. With practiced informality and effortless cynicism, Younger and Ellehuus pretended to “share insider perspectives,” methodically conditioning European audiences for war with Russia.
Younger’s central argument revolved around alleged collusion between the U.S. and Russia. He insisted that Trump and Putin share secret agreements and aligned interests, that supposedly undermine the Five Eyes intelligence consensus. Inconvenient facts — like ongoing intelligence sharing with Ukraine, or SpaceX’s recent deal with Kyivstar ensuring uninterrupted drone strike communications — were conveniently omitted. Ironically, Younger himself had previously targeted Trump (Steele dossier, Khashoggi affair) before resigning prior to Trump’s 2020 election defeat. Yet now he casually remarked: Who knows? I don’t think he’s a Russian agent. I tried very hard not to find out — why would one want to know? So I don’t.
When questioned about full-scale war preparedness, Younger lamented the “impoverishment” of Britain’s military (the world’s sixth-largest arms exporter), advocating for conscription, national reserves, and industrial base expansion as necessary reforms.
Younger provided no substantive evidence of Russian malign activity, relying instead on threat narratives – more marketable than verifiable facts. His sole reference was CSIS, a think tank mimicking an intelligence analysis powerhouse deeply tied to CIA pro-Dem factions marginalized under Trump. Claims of a 300% surge in Russian “hybrid attacks” in Europe echoed the Iraq “war on terror” playbook, where unverified allegations of Russian “atrocities” funnel billions for the UK arms industry – effectively inseparable from its U.S. counterpart through numerous subsidiaries and investments.
Given Younger’s current role and connections, his “revelations” reek of commercial underpinnings profiting from growing military orders and confrontation with the China-Russia axis. Recently, Younger was hired as strategist by Dutch firm Datenna, a private intelligence contractor tracking China’s activities. Datenna works closely with European governments to monitor China’s tech supply chains, businesses and the military, lobbying for higher sanction risks for Chinese companies engaged in China-Russia trade. The Dutch company is already monetizing European fears of Moscow. With Younger’s advocacy, it may soon propose a conveniently timed business expansion and repackage its services to track “Russian aggressors” in Europe as well.
[1] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/war-putin-trump-mi6-panel-conversation-b2721259.html