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Nigel Farage hits back at ‘utter b******s’ Russia claims before warning Vladimir Putin poses huge threat
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has rejected reports that he said he understood Russia’s annexation of Crimea, calling the claims “utter b******s”. He also said he now regards Vladimir Putin as a major threat to the UK and Western Europe, as Farage faces renewed scrutiny over his past comments and his party’s stance on Russia.
The disputed remarks were attributed to Farage in 2022 and concerned Russian-speaking communities in Crimea and the Donbas; Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Farage said he had described Putin as a capable political operator, not as someone he supported, and said he would not live in Russia. Reform UK’s newly named armed forces spokesman, Angus MacIntyre, said Farage had backed shooting down Russian aircraft that entered Nato airspace, while political opponents cited Farage’s record and former Reform Wales leader Nathan Gill’s jailing for accepting pro-Kremlin bribes.
In short
- Farage denies saying he understood Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
- He now says Putin poses a major threat to the UK.
- Rivals continue to challenge Reform UK’s record on Russia.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Farage’s clarification deserves to be taken on its own terms: describing Putin as politically capable is not the same as supporting him, and Farage says he regards him as a major threat and opposes Russian incursions into Nato airspace. On this view, scrutiny should distinguish his stated positions from disputed interpretations of earlier remarks and from the criminal conduct of a former colleague.
The case against
The earlier remarks and the renewed clarification leave reasonable grounds to question whether Farage has consistently conveyed the seriousness of Russia’s actions and threat. Critics may argue that his record, alongside a former party figure’s conviction for taking pro-Kremlin bribes, warrants close scrutiny of Reform’s approach and safeguards, while recognising that the conviction does not establish Farage’s own involvement.
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