The leader of a major British far-right group has been revealed to have spoken at a summit of European extreme nationalist groups in Russia, convened by an oligarch with close links to Vladimir Putin.
Links to 'Putin's Brain' Raise Alarm
The event, the inaugural gathering of the Forum of the International Anti-Globalist League, took place in St Petersburg on 12 September. It was addressed by Mark Collett, the founder and head of Patriotic Alternative, which is regarded as the UK's largest far-right organisation.
Pride of place at the forum was given to the ultranationalist Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin, often described as 'Putin's brain', whose views helped shape the rationale for the invasion of Ukraine. The event was held at the St Petersburg Legislative Assembly building.
Collett confirmed to the Guardian that he attended the event as an online participant, delivering a three-minute speech. He said he discussed birthrates and immigration in Britain, warning that white Britons would become a minority and urging eastern European countries to avoid the same fate.
MPs Warn of Kremlin's 'Hybrid War' on Democracy
The revelation has sparked renewed concern among MPs about the Kremlin's ongoing efforts to cultivate links with extremist groups in an attempt to disrupt Western democracies and sow societal divisions.
Calvin Bailey, a Labour MP and member of the Commons defence committee, said the connections between Patriotic Alternative and Russia were a clear example of political subversion. "Russia considers itself at war with us. It absolutely wants to see systematic paralysis here and is eager to find ways of undermining the fabric of our nation," he stated.
He added that the far-right's goals dovetailed with Moscow's, making them a "vehicle for attacking the ideas that underpin our democracy."
Oligarch's Network and Denials
The key figure behind the forum was Konstantin Malofeyev, a sanctioned banker known as the 'Orthodox oligarch' for his support of the Russian church. Malofeyev, whose business interests include the pro-Kremlin Tsargrad media group, founded the Brotherhood of Academists, the nationalist student movement that invited Collett.
In a Telegram post, Malofeyev hailed the conference, which he said attracted over 50 delegates from 15 right-wing groups across three continents, united in defending "Christian values" and fighting globalism.
However, Collett strongly denied being a proxy for the Russian state. "I have never received any contact or payment from anyone within the Russian establishment, so the idea that myself or Patriotic Alternative is being 'used' by the Russian state is absurd," he said. He claimed the Ukraine conflict was "stoked" by the previous US government.
The event underscores ongoing worries about sophisticated Russian influence operations in the UK, which range from espionage to more subtle attempts to inflame social tensions and support extremist voices.
