London: An American soldier in NATO was arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia

British police on Wednesday interrogated an American soldier serving within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces, on suspicion of spying for Russia, after he was arrested in an operation that came within the framework of a joint investigation with the American army and British security authorities.

On Tuesday, London police announced the arrest of the 41-year-old soldier in the Gloucestershire area in southwest England, before he was transferred to a police station in the capital.

A senior NATO official said that the soldier is serving in the ranks of the alliance's Rapid Response Corps, which includes forces from several countries and has a high ability to respond quickly, and is led by the British Army.

The Corps is stationed at the Imgen barracks in the village of Ensworth, and can deploy at short notice anywhere in Europe or around the world, under direct operational orders from the Supreme Commander of NATO forces in Europe.

Emgen is located a few miles from the headquarters of the British Cyber ​​Intelligence and Security Agency, which is considered one of the sensitive sites in the country.

This case falls within a series of espionage accusations that included people suspected of working for Russia in Britain and other European countries, amid escalating tensions between Moscow and a number of European capitals since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

It also comes after recent security incidents at two British air bases where American forces are stationed, which officials accused Iran of being behind.

Vicky Evans, chief national coordinator for the British Counter-Terrorism Service, said: “The important arrest and investigation were the result of close cooperation between the British and American authorities.” She added in a statement on Tuesday that “the accusations are serious, and the investigation is still ongoing.”

The British police statement quoted FBI Director Kash Patel as saying, “The arrest operation, which is of great importance, comes against the backdrop of espionage accusations, which is a matter of great concern to the United States and its allies.”

The police arrested the American soldier based on Articles (1) and (3) of the British law related to national security, which was passed in 2023. The two articles relate to “espionage and with the assistance of a foreign intelligence service.” The law allows counter-terrorism police to detain him without charge for up to 14 days.

The commander of the US Army's Counterintelligence Command, Sean Stinchon, described the accusations against a "high-ranking soldier who was entrusted with sensitive information" as "a worrying reminder that internal threats are real and ongoing."

In another context, Turkey welcomed the start of discussing areas of cooperation aimed at building confidence between the two parts of the island of Cyprus under the auspices of the United Nations, while it adheres to its position on the two-state solution on the island, which has been divided since 1974.

Commenting on the meeting in which the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Maria Angela Holguin Koya, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Tufan Erhorman, said, commenting on the meeting last Monday, that Turkey “welcomes the discussion that took place on areas of cooperation aimed at building confidence between the two sides.”

Kechali spoke about making “limited” progress regarding opening new crossings between the two parts of the island, stressing that achieving further progress requires the (Greek) Cypriot side to change its position of rejecting consensus.

The two sides announced an agreement on opening two new crossings, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that his country will continue to support the “two-state solution” in Cyprus, considering it a national issue.