Richard Moore said President Vladimir Putin’s troops “will have to stand down” as they struggle to find more troops and equipment to send to the front line in eastern Ukraine in the coming weeks. This will allow the Ukrainian military to “fight back” in what the UK’s spy chief has said is a “winnable war”. Russia warns Ukraine ‘will disappear from the world stage’ – latest war updates Speaking at a security forum in Aspen, Colorado, Mr Moore also commented on the state of Putin’s health amid rumors that he was suffering from a serious illness such as cancer. “There is no indication that Putin is suffering from serious ill health,” he said. Speaking at the same security forum on Wednesday, William Burns, director of the CIA, also played down speculation about Putin being ill, saying he is “very healthy”. As for China – the country that has become MI6’s biggest focus, Mr Moore said a key reason why Ukraine should prevail over Russia is because Chinese President Xi Jinping is watching what is happening “like a hawk”. . Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 0:45 “Putin’s war is based on his illusions” On the war in Ukraine, MI6’s spy chief said Russia had suffered “epic failures” in its original aims, which he listed as toppling the Ukrainian government, seizing Kiev and sowing division within the Nato alliance. Russia’s focus has narrowed to eastern Ukraine, where it is waging a bloody war of attrition. Mr Moore said: “I think they are going to run out. “I think our assessment is that the Russians are going to find it increasingly difficult to find manpower, material, in the coming weeks, they’re going to have to stop somehow and that’s going to give the Ukrainians opportunities to fight back. “Their morale is still high, they are starting to receive more and more quantities of good weaponry. “It is important for the Ukrainians themselves to demonstrate their ability to fight back. This will be important for their continued high morale.” Image: Richard Moore is the head of MI6, known as ‘C’ Mr Moore said it was an important reminder to the rest of Europe that “this is a campaign that the Ukrainians can win”, as allies prepare for a “pretty tough winter” while the impact of Europe trying to wean itself from a dependence on Russian energy is felt. Offering a quote from the TV series Game Of Thrones, Mr Moore said: “Winter is coming and clearly in this atmosphere, with the pressure on gas supplies, we’re in for a tough time.” The head of MI6 has given a taste of how European allies moved to punish Russia’s intelligence services for their role in the Ukraine war, halving Russian spying capabilities in Europe by firing more than 400 Russian spies which operated under diplomatic cover. Asked about China, Moore said his agency devotes more resources to dealing with Chinese threats and challenges than any other issue, even surpassing counterterrorism. Asked what lessons Beijing could draw from the war in Ukraine for whatever ambitions the Chinese government might have for Taiwan, Mr Moore said it was too early to tell. But he continued: “I think there are a lot of signs that they’re really getting destroyed trying to make up their own minds about it.” It made Ukraine’s ability to win or at least negotiate with Russia from a position of “significant stress” essential, “because Xi Jinping is watching it like a hawk,” he said. Read more: Russia ‘laying the groundwork’ for annexation Zelensky’s son wants to become a soldier and learn to use a rifle He was speaking in a conversation with Jim Sciutto, CNN’s national security correspondent, who asked Mr Moore whether war between China and the US and its allies was inevitable. “I don’t think it’s inevitable at all,” the spy chief said, noting that a peaceful resolution of the key flashpoint issue – Taiwan – is a desire of both sides. “But clearly, we need to find ways to communicate clearly and have … deterrents as needed to avoid these kinds of miscalculations.”
