Nigel Farage exploring Ukraine visit, Reform officials say

LONDON — Nigel Farage’s critics have long accused him of having a weakness on Vladimir Putin. Now Reform UK wants to tee up a visit to Ukraine. Two party officials told POLITICO on Monday that discussions have been held between the party and Ukrainian contacts about the prospect of a trip for the Reform leader. Farage’s opponents often hurl at him comments he made back in 2014 that he “admired” the Russian president as an “operator.” Then, a decade later, he triggered a mid-general election backlash by claiming it was the West that “provoked” Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The imprisonment of Reform’s former Wales leader last year for taking Russian bribes has only added to perceptions that Farage has a “Putin problem.” Polling carried out by More in Common last year suggests that while every voting group in Britain overwhelmingly backs Ukraine, only 26 percent believe that Farage feels the same. Some 21 percent reckon he sympathizes more with Russia. But Reform hopes it could go some way to dispelling that perception by arranging for Farage to visit Ukraine. “I know it’s been discussed,” said a first official, whose comment was backed up by a second official. Both were granted anonymity to discuss plans yet to be finalized. Neither could say at what level the talks have been held. Reform declined to comment, as did the Ukrainian Embassy. The first official said they believe a visit could go some way to dispelling the impression Farage has any sympathy for Putin — but warned a visit could “piss off a lot of our members.” Separate research by Opinium last year suggests that Reform voters are significantly more skeptical about continued British support for Ukraine than backers of other parties. Should the visit go ahead, it would mark the latest attempt from Farage to distance himself from his past statements. In October, he called Putin “a very bad dude” and said the U.K. should shoot down Moscow’s jets that enter British airspace. The most maximalist ambition for a visit to Kyiv would be a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself, though officials declined to comment on whether that prospect had been discussed. Guidance from the Foreign Office, which isn’t facilitating parliamentarian travel to Ukraine, warns against any travel to most of Ukraine because of the assessed risk to British nationals. A Whitehall official pointed out this advice applies to MPs as well as regular Brits. It would not be unheard of for opposition leaders to visit the Ukrainian president: Keir Starmer did it while Rishi Sunak was prime minister in 2023. Reform has been arranging a series of visits, due to take place later this year, with international allies, including Marine Le Pen, the president of France’s far-right National Rally party. Le Pen would be French president if she wins next year’s elections. Jordan Bardella, who played a big role in Reform’s party conference in Birmingham last weekend, would be her pick for prime minister. Reform has been making a point of engaging with Kyiv’s representatives, and the Ukrainian Embassy in London sent a representative to this year’s Reform UK conference. Esther Webber contributed to this report.