Explainer: Could Farage’s Putin praise cost Reform UK votes at the ballot box?

There is widespread criticism of Nigel Farage after favourable comments concerning Vladimir Putin.

Transcript

00:00Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, recently claimed that NATO and EU expansion provoked

00:09Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He suggested the West's actions were akin to poking the

00:15Russian bear with a stick. Now, Farage admitted to previously underestimating Vladimir Putin's

00:21willingness to invade, which he now acknowledges was a mistake. These comments could harm Reform

00:27UK's electoral popularity. By appearing to sympathise with Putin, Farage risks alienating

00:35voters who support Ukraine and view Russia's actions as unjustifiable aggression. This stance

00:42could reinforce perceptions of extremism within Reform UK, potentially limiting its appeal

00:49to moderate voters and those on the fence. Farage's alignment with a figure as controversial

00:56as Putin may hinder his party's efforts to gain broader support in upcoming elections.