Britain says Russia is trying to undermine West by 'weaponising misinformation'

FILE PHOTO - Britain's Defence Secretary Michael Fallon attends a press conference with U.S. Secretary of Defence Ash Carter at the Foreign Office in London, December 15, 2016. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to undermine the West by spreading lies and attacking critical infrastructure with hackers, Britain's defence minister said.

British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said on Thursday night that Kremlin chief Putin had chosen to become a strategic competitor of the West since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.