The boundaries of the traditional battlefield have dissolved, replaced by a shadow war of assassination plots, cyber-sabotage, and disinformation that brings the conflict to every doorstep. This is the stark warning set to be delivered on Monday by Blaise Metreweli, the new head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6).

In a defining moment for global security, Metreweli—the first woman to lead the agency—will declare that the world has entered a volatile “age of uncertainty.” Her message is clear: the aggression fueled by the Kremlin is no longer confined to the trenches of Eastern Europe but has metastasized into a global threat that destabilizes economies and democracies alike.

For Kenyans, who have seen how distant conflicts can rapidly inflate the price of fuel and grain, Metreweli’s assessment serves as a grim forecast. When global powers engage in hybrid warfare, the shockwaves—whether through disrupted supply chains or cyber-attacks on financial infrastructure—are felt as keenly in Nairobi as they are in London.

The Export of Chaos

Metreweli is expected to argue that the Kremlin has adopted a strategy where disorder is the primary weapon. “The export of chaos is a feature, not a bug, in the Russian approach to international engagement,” she will state, warning that these tactics will persist “until Putin is forced to change his calculus.”

This assessment is corroborated by Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, the UK’s chief of the defence staff. In a coordinated warning, Knighton is set to describe the current geopolitical landscape as “more dangerous than I have known during my career,” urging a unified stepping up of defenses.

The intelligence chief’s speech identifies specific vectors of this new warfare:

• Assassination Plots: Targeted lethality on foreign soil.
• Sabotage: Physical disruption of critical infrastructure.
• Cyber-Warfare: Attacks designed to cripple digital systems.
• Information Manipulation: Propaganda campaigns aimed at fracturing public trust.

A Diplomatic High-Wire Act

The timing of these remarks is critical. They come as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer prepares for an emergency summit in Berlin. The stakes are exceptionally high: Starmer is due to meet with European leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Steve Witkoff, the special envoy for US President Donald Trump.

The diplomatic atmosphere is fraught with tension. While Metreweli asserts that “Putin should be in no doubt: our support is enduring,” the political reality is far murkier. The US position has become increasingly unpredictable, with the Trump administration previously signaling a willingness to entertain Russian demands—a stance that threatens to fracture the Western alliance.

Analysts note that this divergence places Europe—and by extension, the global stability framework—in a precarious position. If the US pulls back, the burden of security shifts, potentially emboldening expansionist tactics that could further disrupt global trade routes vital to African markets.

While details of the alternative European peace plan remain scarce, the summit in Berlin represents a desperate effort to persuade Washington to hold the line. As Metreweli prepares to take the podium, her warning underscores a sobering reality: in this new age of uncertainty, neutrality offers no shield against the fallout of hybrid war.