Farage reportedly weighing Ukraine visit to counter accusations of pro-Russia sympathies
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is considering a visit to Ukraine to dispel claims that he sympathizes with Russia, two party officials told Politico.
Two officials from Britain's right-wing populist Reform UK party have told Politico that the party has held talks with Ukrainian contacts about a possible visit by leader Nigel Farage to Ukraine. The aim would be to counter accusations that he favors Russia.
Farage's critics frequently cite his 2014 remarks praising Vladimir Putin's skill as a "political operator." A decade later, he sparked outrage during Britain's parliamentary election campaign by suggesting the West had "provoked" Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The impression that Farage has a "Putin problem" was reinforced when the former leader of the Reform party in Wales was jailed last year for accepting Russian bribes. A poll by More in Common found that while most British voters across the board back Ukraine, only 26 percent believe Farage shares that stance, while about 21 percent think he is more sympathetic to Russia.
One of the officials said a visit could help ease that perception, though it might also "anger a lot of our members." Research by Opinium showed Reform UK voters are notably more skeptical of continued British support for Ukraine than supporters of other parties.
A visit would mark another attempt by Farage to distance himself from his past comments — last October he called Putin a "very bad guy" and said Britain should shoot down Russian aircraft entering its airspace. The most ambitious goal of a Kyiv trip would be a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, though officials declined to say whether that prospect has been discussed.
Reform UK is also organizing other visits with international allies later this year, including with Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Rally and a leading contender for the French presidency. The party has been building ties with Ukraine's side as well — Ukraine's embassy in London sent a representative to this year's Reform UK party conference. Reform UK currently remains Britain's most popular political party.
