Farage in Britain is shedding his pro-Russian image ahead of elections

The far-right Reform UK leader is attempting to rehabilitate his controversial stance on Russia as his party’s electoral prospects improve.

Nigel Farage’s far-right Reform UK party is working to improve its reputation, particularly regarding its attitude towards modern Russia, and to outline a specific party position on foreign policy issues, paving the way for a potential victory in the upcoming elections in Britain, as reported by Politico.

Addressing past controversies

Recently, Reform UK has begun to develop a specific vision for British foreign policy in preparation for electoral success. In particular, they have started by correcting the situation on issues where Farage feels his image is threatened by past statements, particularly regarding his attitude toward Russia and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Farage is often reminded of his careless comments in 2014, when he expressed admiration for Russian leader Vladimir Putin, as well as after the start of the full-scale war, when Farage caused a scandal with his statement that the West had “provoked” Russia by expanding NATO.

Recently, Farage has tried to contradict his previous statements. In particular, he called Putin a “very bad guy” and said that Britain should shoot down Russian fighter jets if they invade British airspace, while his deputy Richard Tice mentioned the “monstrous tyranny of the worst criminal, Putin.”

Farage has been accused of playing into the Kremlin’s hands following recent statements that he would vote against any British government plans for a British military presence in Ukraine. He is also trying to mitigate the consequences of one of the most painful blows to the party’s reputation by appointing a new leader for the party’s branch in Wales. Gill’s predecessor was convicted of receiving payments from Russia in exchange for pro-Russian statements.

Electoral calculations and diplomatic outreach

A 2025 poll in Britain showed that although support for Ukraine clearly prevails among Britons, only 26% believed that Nigel Farage was more supportive of Ukraine than Russia. Given these sentiments, Farage is clearly trying to remove any ambiguity to improve his chances.

Five interlocutors familiar with internal party processes shared that Farage has also begun working to convey the party’s position and views on issues of common interest to his European colleagues in preparation for electoral victory. Reform UK representatives have been holding similar meetings with foreign diplomats for at least the past six months.

According to two sources, they also met with “representatives from Ukraine” and emphasized their support for Ukraine during these meetings. In private communications, as far as sources are aware, European diplomats have serious doubts about how Reform UK would behave if it came to power.

Three senior officials from Eastern Europe said they were very concerned about Reform UK’s position on Russia, not because they believe the party clearly sympathizes with the Russian Federation, but because its position appears vague and uncertain, and there is a lack of consistent statements in support of Ukraine.

Following the 2024 snap election, Farage’s Reform UK party entered the House of Commons for the first time, and in May 2025, it won an additional seat in the British Parliament by a margin of six votes. Last year, Reform UK topped the popularity ratings for the first time.