Russia may interfere in the general election to weaken Britain’s resolve over supporting Ukraine, the chair of Washington’s most powerful intelligence committee has warned.
Mark Warner, the Democratic leader of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he expects to see Moscow’s meddling “ramp up dramatically” ahead of polling day on July 4.
He singled out Nigel Farage as he described Vladimir Putin’s potential efforts to exploit differing attitudes among British politicians towards defending Kyiv’s frontlines.
Discussing the Reform UK leader’s personal friendship with Donald Trump, a vocal sceptic of funding Ukraine, he said: “I’m not sure where Mr Farage is at this week on that issue or whether he’s continuing to follow Mr Trump’s lead.”
Mr Warner said the Kremlin and its surrogates were intent on “sowing discontent or trying to pit groups against each other [to] further social division”.
The Senate Intelligence Committee chair said the US has seen “egregious efforts similar to what happened in 2016” by Russia to interfere in the democratic process across the globe.
Senators who sit on the committee are regularly briefed on the most sensitive US intelligence.
“I think the next big test of the state of play will be the British elections in a few weeks,” he said, adding that he has been “closely monitoring” the snap election.
“Clearly, Russia does not like the fact that the UK has been as stalwart as they have been in terms of defence on Ukraine,” he said.
He said several entities, including Russian agencies and successors to the infamous Kremlin-backed troll farm the Internet Research Agency, were preparing to deploy “deep fake” tools.
While US intelligence agencies “have not seen much activity” around the UK election so far, he said, “the chances are, as we saw in the past, this activity ramps up dramatically the closer it gets to the election”.
“It clearly meets Putin’s plans if he can lessen the British or the Americans’ resolve for supporting Ukraine, he can save some money on his tanks, guns, ships and planes if he can diminish support,” Mr Warner said.
Mr Farage has suggested Kyiv will eventually have to strike a peace deal with Moscow, contrasting Reform’s position with the Conservative Party’s stance on the war.
Rishi Sunak, and his predecessors Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, have insisted Kyiv can prevail on the battlefield provided it is given the military and economic resources it needs.
The Prime Minister joined G7 leaders last week to lay out plans for a $50 billion (£39 billion) war loan for Ukraine secured against the profits from Russian assets frozen in Europe.
Mr Farage has suggested Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, should enter talks with Russia, which could lead to the partition of Ukraine.
“I’m not saying we shouldn’t support Ukraine at all,” he said, “but at the end of the day most wars end in negotiation and I fear, if we don’t find some way of at least sitting down and talking, that we’re going to finish up with a war that goes on for year after year after year.”
Mr Zelensky has repeatedly said he will not concede any territory to end the war.
However, Mr Farage predicted that if Mr Trump retakes the White House in November’s presidential race, the Ukrainian leader could be forced to the negotiating table.
“If there is a change of American president, Trump will push for these negotiations to happen and my guess is they would happen,” he said.
Mr Trump has threatened to rapidly cut Washington’s funding to Kyiv in a second term, and has claimed he could stop the war “within 24 hours”.
His allies in Congress stalled Joe Biden’s $60 billion aid package for Ukraine for several months, prompting alarm among allies in the UK and Europe.
Speaking to reporters in Washington on Tuesday, Mr Warner conceded that Kyiv may have to seek a negotiated peace at some point, but insisted the “time and place” of any deal should be dictated “by the Ukrainians”.