Chief UK Far-Right Activist Spoke at Moscow-Linked Extreme Nationalist Gathering
The head of a prominent British nationalist organization addressed attendees at a summit of European extreme nationalist groups convened in Russia by an wealthy oligarch with ties to the country's leadership, according to reports.
This revelation has sparked further alarm among parliamentarians regarding the Russian state's ties to extremist movements and its alleged efforts to disrupt democratic institutions and sow societal discord.
Forum Proceedings
The forum in St. Petersburg featured an address by Mark Collett, a veteran nationalist figure and the leader of the group Patriotic Alternative, which has sought to exploit periods of social unrest in Britain.
A variety of organizations from across Europe, including nationalist thinkers from France and other nations, also attended the launch gathering of the Forum of the International Anti-Globalist League.
Prominent speaker at the event was Alexander Dugin, a noted Russian theorist whose ideas are believed as having informed the ideology behind the invasion in Ukraine.
“Russia views itself at war with us. It absolutely wants to see political instability here and is looking to find ways of undermining the foundations of our nation,” remarked a parliamentarian who serves on the defence committee.
“That dovetails with what the far right wants and what it believes. It’s even more than just groups and individuals on the far right being used as tools. They are literally a means for attacking the values that underpin our democracy.”
Broader Concerns
Russian subversive activities have reportedly increased in recent years, encompassing spy networks.
However, analysts have also expressed worry about covert campaigns to sow societal divisions. Earlier this year, it was revealed that online networks with apparent Russian links were encouraging hostile actions within the UK and promising payment in return.
There have been demands for a ban of Patriotic Alternative, which is seen as one of the UK's foremost far-right groups, despite one facing rivalry from more recent organizations.
Activist's Response
Mark Collett, who launched the group following divisions within earlier nationalist movements, stated his participation at the Russian event as an online participant.
He said he delivered a brief speech discussing demographics and immigration, arguing that white Britons could become a demographic minority and that Eastern European nations should not allow a similar situation.
Collett asserted he was invited by a Russian nationalist student movement. He categorically rejected being a proxy for the Russian state.
“I do not believe that Russia desires war with the west, or with Britain. What’s more, I have never received any contact or financial support from anyone within the Russian state, so the idea that myself or Patriotic Alternative is being ‘used’ by the Russian state is ridiculous, and a groundless suggestion,” he stated. He expressed the belief the conflict in Ukraine was instigated by external powers seeking a proxy war.
Event Organizer
The key figure behind the event was Konstantin Malofeyev, a businessman with investments supportive of the Kremlin and the founder of the student movement that issued the invitations.
Malofeyev, described by some foreign authorities as a source of funding for Russian interests in Ukraine, hailed the conference in an online post.
“More than 50 delegates from 15 nationalist organisations across three continents came to St Petersburg. Diverse, but united on key issues: a desire to defend traditional values, a fight for cultural preservation, and resistance to our common enemy – globalism,” he proclaimed.
He noted the event opened with a Christian memorial and a moment of silence for a recently deceased right-wing activist from the United States.
Other speakers included well-known figures from France and Switzerland, as well as a German politician.