Leading British Extreme Nationalist Figure Spoke at Moscow-Linked Far-Right Summit

The head of a prominent British nationalist organization spoke at a conference of European extreme nationalist groups hosted in Russia by an powerful oligarch connected to the country's leadership, according to revelations.

This revelation has prompted further unease among MPs regarding the Kremlin's connections to radical movements and its perceived efforts to disrupt democratic processes and create societal divisions.

Event Details

The forum in St. Petersburg featured an address by Mark Collett, a longstanding nationalist figure and the founder of the group Patriotic Alternative, which has been active during periods of public protest in Britain.

A variety of organizations from across Europe, including nationalist thinkers from France and other nations, were present at the inaugural gathering of the Forum of the International Anti-Globalist League.

Prominent speaker at the event was Alexander Dugin, a ultranationalist Russian theorist whose views are believed as having influenced the ideology behind the military action in Ukraine.

“The Kremlin views itself at war with us. It absolutely wants to see political instability here and is looking to find ways of weakening the fabric 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 vehicle for attacking the ideas that support our democracy.”

Wider Implications

Russian political interference have reportedly been ratcheted up in recent years, alongside covert actions.

However, analysts have also expressed worry about more subtle efforts to foment societal divisions. Earlier this year, investigations indicated that online networks with apparent Russian links were encouraging violent attacks within the UK and providing digital currency in return.

There have been calls for a outlawing of Patriotic Alternative, which is considered as one of the UK's most significant far-right groups, despite one facing competition from emerging organizations.

Collett's Comments

Mark Collett, who founded the group following schisms within earlier nationalist movements, stated his attendance at the Russian event as an online participant.

He claimed he delivered a brief speech discussing population trends and immigration, warning that white Britons could become a smaller proportion and that Eastern European nations should not allow a similar situation.

Collett said he was invited by a Russian nationalist student movement. He strongly denied being a proxy for the Russian state.

“I do not believe that Russia seeks war with the west, or with Britain. What’s more, I have never received any communication or payment from anyone within the Russian government, so the idea that myself or Patriotic Alternative is being ‘used’ by the Russian state is ridiculous, and a unfounded suggestion,” he remarked. He argued the conflict in Ukraine was stoked by external powers seeking a indirect conflict.

Key Backer

The primary organizer behind the event was Konstantin Malofeyev, a banker with holdings supportive of the Kremlin and the founder of the student movement that issued the invitations.

Malofeyev, labeled by some foreign authorities as a source of funding for Russian interests in Ukraine, celebrated the conference in an online post.

“More than 50 delegates from 15 rightwing patriotic organisations across three continents came to St Petersburg. Diverse, but united on key issues: a desire to defend Christian values, a fight for cultural preservation, and resistance to our common enemy – globalism,” he said.

He noted the event opened with a moment of reflection and a moment of silence for a recently deceased right-wing activist from the United States.

Other participants included well-known figures from France and Switzerland, as well as a German politician.