Russia's spy chief says Russia, Belarus ready to act over European 'escalation' around Ukraine

FILE PHOTO: Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia’s foreign intelligence agency, attends a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 76th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia May 9, 2021. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's foreign spy service chief, Sergei Naryshkin, said that the security services of Russia and Belarus were ready to act proactively, given what he said was increased escalation from Europe over Ukraine, state news agency RIA reported on Tuesday.

RIA cited Naryshkin as saying that, in the event of an attack on Russia or Belarus, Russia would retaliate against NATO as a whole, but that Poland and the Baltic states would suffer first.

(Writing by Felix Light; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)