RATTLED British and US spook bosses have warned that their notion of an international world order is “under threat in a way we haven’t seen since the cold war.”

In a first-ever joint article, MI6 chief Sir Richard Moore and CIA director William Burns said that they saw the war in Ukraine coming “and were able to warn the international community,” partly by declassifying secrets to help Kiev.

The security service chiefs said there was work being done to “disrupt the reckless campaign of sabotage” across Europe by Russia, push for de-escalation in Gaza, and counterterrorism to thwart the resurgent of Isis.

Among the threats they listed was the rise of China, describing it as “the principal intelligence and geopolitical challenge of the 21st century.”

They wrote in the Financial Times: “There is no question that the international world order — the balanced system that has led to relative peace and stability and delivered rising living standards, opportunities and prosperity — is under threat in a way we haven’t seen since the cold war.”

Amid calls from Ukraine for the West to supply more weapons and lift restrictions on their use inside Russia, they said that any fear of escalation of the war should not deter support for Ukraine.

A Stop The War Coalition spokesperson told the Star: “The Anglo-American world order is crumbling because of the disasters in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and elsewhere — calamities the CIA and MI6 contributed heavily to — as well as its economic failures.

“The spymasters would do better to act to stop Israel’s genocide in Gaza, seek a peaceful solution in Ukraine and rein in the arms race and the cold war against China.

“It is those policies which are destabilising the world today.”