Farage says he'll meet Marine Le Pen "at some point in time"

Nigel Farage, leader of the British right-wing party Reform UK, has said he will meet French right-wing politician Marine Le Pen "at some point in time". No date has been given. The meeting matters because both politicians lead right-wing forces in their countries, and a meeting would show how those forces work together.

Meeting put on hold

Farage and Le Pen had planned to meet in Paris in October. Politico Europe reports that Le Pen is keeping Farage hanging over the rendezvous, because the dynamics in both their parties have shifted since then.

Relationship with Trump

Farage has increasingly distanced himself from U.S. President Donald Trump while cost-of-living pressures hit Britons. After the U.S. midterm elections, he criticized Trump over a "broken promise" on foreign wars. In October, Politico reported that Farage was publicly playing down his friendship with the president in Britain. On a U.S. podcast, however, he said there are few people he agrees with more than Trump.

Defense focus

On Thursday, Reform UK unveiled its dedicated spokesperson for the armed forces. Politico describes this as the party getting serious on defense.