Farage's party weighs Ukraine trip to counter claims of pro-Russian leanings
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is considering a visit to Ukraine to dispel accusations that he sympathizes with Russia, two party officials told Politico.
Nigel Farage, leader of Britain's right-wing populist Reform UK party, is weighing a possible trip to Ukraine in an effort to counter claims that he is sympathetic to Russia. Two Reform UK officials told Politico that talks have taken place between the party and Ukrainian contacts about such a visit, according to a report cited by European Pravda.
The officials said discussions had occurred but could not specify at what level, and Ukraine's embassy in Britain declined to comment.
Criticism over Putin remarks
Farage's critics frequently point to comments he made in 2014, when he voiced "admiration" for Vladimir Putin as a "political operator." A decade later, during Britain's parliamentary election campaign, he provoked backlash by claiming the West had "provoked" Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That perception was reinforced last year when a former leader of the Reform party in Wales was imprisoned for accepting Russian bribes.
A poll by More in Common found that while most British voter groups broadly support Ukraine, only 26 percent believe Farage shares that stance, while around 21 percent think he is more sympathetic toward Russia.
The party hopes a visit could help dispel this impression, though one official warned it risked "angering many of our members," since research by Opinium shows Reform UK voters are notably more skeptical of continued British support for Ukraine than supporters of other parties.
Possible meeting with Zelensky
The most ambitious goal of a Kyiv visit would be a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, though officials declined to say whether such a possibility had been discussed. Last October, Farage called Putin a "very bad man" and said Britain should shoot down Russian aircraft entering its airspace.
Reform UK is planning a series of visits later this year with international allies, including Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Rally and a leading contender for the French presidency. Ukraine's embassy in London sent a representative to the party's conference this year. Reform UK currently remains Britain's most popular political party.
