The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lashed out at the latest warnings from the British Government about the advisability of preparing for a possible conflict within a thousand days, dismissing them as a maneuver intended to "stoke hysteria" among the population and reinforce the "myth of the Russian threat", with the consequent benefit for the defense industry.
In a press appearance, the spokeswoman for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zajarova, referred to the words of the British Defense Secretary, Wes Streeting. He, in an article published in the newspaper The Telegraph, warned that the United Kingdom's adversaries —without explicitly mentioning Russia— could be in a position to attack by around 2030, calling on citizens to strengthen national resilience and stockpile essential supplies.
"There is nothing new in it. We hear similar statements from the Westerners practically every day or every week", Zajarova pointed out, reproaching the British authorities for resorting to the argument of "preventing a negative outcome" to fit their message into an alarmist narrative about a supposed imminent aggression against the country.
According to the spokeswoman, these messages are aimed at a "massive and credulous audience" for the purpose of legitimizing the diversion of public resources and justifying budget deficits in areas such as health or social welfare. She added, moreover, that behind this type of warning are the economic interests of large corporations of the military-industrial complex and of the technological 'lobbies', which "have perceived the aroma of a colossal fortune".
Citizen preparedness campaign in the United Kingdom
Zajarova's statements are framed within the official campaign launched in the United Kingdom under the slogan 'Be Ready' ('Esté preparado'), which encourages the population to have reserves of bottled water and non-perishable food in the face of possible interruptions to basic services caused by cyberattacks, sabotage or geopolitical tensions.
The government plan advises households to have provisions and essential resources for three days, in addition to flashlights, wind-up radios and first-aid kits.
In parallel, the Executive has insisted on the importance of strengthening national defense and social resilience in the face of growing risks that, according to British intelligence services such as MI5, put an end to the period of geopolitical stability following the Cold War.