29th Parliamentary-Intelligence Security Forum – Is President Putin to be Believed?

Sir Liam Fox, former UK Defense Minister, emphasized that the primary security threat Europe faces today is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He traced the conflict to a pattern of Russian aggression, from Georgia (2008) to Crimea (2014) and finally the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, criticizing both Putin’s disregard for international law and the West’s historical failures in deterrence. Fox underscored the humanitarian cost: tens of thousands of Ukrainian and Russian deaths and massive civilian suffering. He argued that sanctions must be sustained and strengthened to weaken Russia economically and militarily, noting that capital controls, high interest rates, and labor shortages already strain the Russian economy. Fox also called for consideration of frozen Russian assets abroad as a means to fund Ukraine’s recovery and highlighted the need for transatlantic unity to maintain pressure on Moscow.

On broader geopolitics, he warned that China seeks to weaken the West strategically, pursuing long-term advantages by subtly fracturing alliances, unlike Russia’s overt aggression. He stressed that the West has provided insufficient alternatives to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, particularly for African nations, advocating for greater investment opportunities to help countries develop independently of Beijing. Sir. Liam concluded that the West must resist aggression, defend freedom, and act decisively, even in the face of complex challenges and competing global pressures, framing the conflict as both a moral and existential struggle for international order.