Britain faces its “greatest risk” of war in decades as Russia continues to test NATO defences, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has warned, as the government prepares to make the case for a sustained increase in military spending.

Streeting described Russia and Vladimir Putin as the “biggest threat” facing Britain, arguing that the war in Ukraine and Moscow’s broader military posture had fundamentally altered the security environment facing the UK.

“Without a shadow of a doubt, the biggest threat facing Britain is Russia and President Putin,” said Streeting.

“We’ve got war in our continent. We’ve got a Russian president who has imperialist ambitions, who is constantly testing Britain’s defences, NATO defences and testing the strength of our alliances.

“And so, the sobering reality is that we face a greater risk of war than we’ve done at any point in my lifetime.”

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[Original in Russian. This is an automated and paraphrased translation with minimal edits.]

Children in Russian kindergartens will be taught more “moral guidelines” than counting and writing, said the head of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation Sergey Kravtsov. “Acquaintance with native culture, literature, customs and moral guidelines is more important than "memorizing letters and numbers."

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Earlier, Kravtsov said that in Russian kindergartens, the projects “Eagle-Preschool” and “Good Games” were launched, aimed at instilling “traditional spiritual and moral values” in children.

According to the methodical materials of the Good Games, children from the age of 3 should be told about the annexation of Crimea and form their idea of the peninsula as a “region of Russia”. This, according to the Ministry of Education, will cause “patriotic feelings and pride for their country” among preschoolers. Also, the games are designed to educate children “heroism”, which in the materials of the project is defined as “the highest manifestation of love for the Motherland and people” and “willingness to sacrifice themselves for the sake of others.”

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“Good Games” is an analogue of the propaganda “Talk about the important” that appeared in Russian schools after the invasion of Ukraine. Initially, the project for preschoolers was tested under this name: testing took place from September to December 2025 in 56 kindergartens in 25 regions. In February 2026, it was renamed.

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Thomas Graham in Tijuana and Ruaridh Nicoll in Havana
Fri 30 Jan 2026 13.08 EST

Sheinbaum’s comments came after a week of increasing threats from Washington. US officials briefed that gunboats could be deployed off Cuba, and said efforts were under way to find Cuban ministers prepared to collaborate with the US.

Speaking on Wednesday, Mike Hammer, the US chargé d’affaires in Havana, said: “The Cubans have complained for years about a ‘blockade’, but now there is going to be a real blockade.”