The “real long-term threat” to UK national security is China, the head of GCHQ has said, as the UK says that the tide is turning against Russian aggression.

Sir Jeremy Fleming told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that, while Russia poses a “very real threat here and now”, China’s approach to, and use of, science and technology is a greater long-term concern.

The intelligence chief said China is attempting to influence and gain control over global technology and use it to further its own cause at the expense of others.

“It’s creating the rules of the road, it’s imposing its values. It’s deploying its ideologies in ways that we think are against our national interests,” he said.

RETRANSMITTING AMENDING LOCATION

Sir Jeremy Fleming, director of GCHQ, delivers the third annual Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Security Lecture at The Science Gallery in London. Picture date: Tuesday October 11, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS Ukraine. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire — RETRANSMITTING AMENDING LOCATION Sir Jeremy Fleming, director of GCHQ, delivers the third annual Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Security Lecture at The Science Gallery in London. Picture date: Tuesday October 11, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS Ukraine. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire

He yesterday praised Ukraine’s cybersecurity battle against Russia as he said that Vladimir Putin is “running short of munitions and friends” in his war in Europe.

“We’ve seen, because of the declaration for mobilisation, that it’s running short of troops. So I think the answer to that is pretty clear. Russia and Russia’s commanders are worried about the state of their military machine.”

He added: “The word I’ve used is ‘desperate’. We can see that desperation at many levels inside Russian society and inside the Russian military machine.

“It certainly doesn’t imply complacency.”

His comments come as Parliament yesterday held an emergency debate following threats by the Russian leader over nuclear weapons against the West.

Former minister Tobias Ellwood criticised the “strategic ambiguity” approach the Government currently employs towards the threat.

He claimed that the UK had gained a “reputation” for not acting decisively following the conflict in Georgia, chemical weapons in Syria, and the annexation of Crimea.

“Such clarity could be the very deterrence that helps prevent such hostile actions from taking place rather than the vague position that we have now,” he told MPs.

Defence minister Alec Shelbrooke said it would not be “tactically smart” to outline a response to a nuclear attack, adding that President Putin’s comments were “irresponsible”.

“No other country is talking about nuclear use and we do not see this as a nuclear crisis,” he said.

The debate came following a call by leaders of the G7 countries, who released a statement condemning the latest wave of attacks against Ukraine.

The group, including Prime Minister Liz Truss, vowed to hold Vladimir Putin and those responsible to account

“We condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms and recall that indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilian populations constitute a war crime,” the G7 leaders said in a statement.

They also warned Moscow that any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by Russia would be met with “severe consequences”.

Ms Truss still wants to visit Ukraine “as soon as possible”, Downing Street said in the wake of Russian strikes on Kyiv and other parts of the country.

It had been expected that the new Prime Minister would make an early trip to Ukraine to shore up UK support for Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky in the fight against Russia.

Her official spokesman said:“As you’ll appreciate, the Prime Minister is firmly committed to visiting as soon as possible.”

China is the 'real long-term threat', UK intelligence cheif says