Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, has escalated his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, describing him as a “very bad boy” and calling for stronger NATO responses to Russian incursions.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Farage expressed disappointment that Putin has not yet ended the war in Ukraine, noting his hope that former U.S. President Donald Trump could mediate a resolution.
“Undoubtedly, Putin is a very bad boy,” Farage said.
“I genuinely hoped Trump would subdue Putin, leading to some form of compromise, similar to the recent Gaza-Israel agreement. Clearly, that won’t happen,” he added.
Farage, who has previously faced criticism in the UK for his stances on Russia, rejected accusations of weakness in foreign policy, stating:
“It is clear Putin is not a rational person. The idea that I am weak on this issue is simply absurd.”
He supported the use of frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defense and called on NATO to shoot down Russian planes entering alliance airspace. However, he remained hesitant about sending British troops to enforce a ceasefire in Ukraine, as proposed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer under a “volunteers coalition” plan.
Farage’s political support is reportedly growing in polls, as he seeks to challenge the dominance of the UK’s two traditional parties.
