Farage claims Trump could make Putin a 'winner' - as he distances himself from US President over stance on Russia
28 March 2025, 13:58 | Updated: 28 March 2025, 14:12
Nigel Farage has sought to distance himself from Donald Trump's approach to Ukraine - saying the US president risks turning Vladimir Putin "into a winner".
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The Reform UK leader said he "would not be 100% with where (Mr Trump's) team is right now" as the US appears to be withdrawing support from Kyiv and worsening their relationship with the war-torn nation.
Earlier this week, the US appeared to signal an intention to ease sanctions on Russia amid ongoing attempts to secure a ceasefire.
Reports have also suggested the US is pushing for a new deal with Kyiv that would give America control over Ukrainian minerals and energy assets.
Ukraine has been a challenging issue for Farage, who has faced backlash over his admiration for Putin and for accusing the West of provoking the Russian invasion.
Asked what he would say to Mr Trump about his approach to Ukraine on the BBC's Today programme, Mr Farage said: "It's quite right to aim for peace, but we can't have a peace that turns Putin into a winner, so I would not be 100% with where his team is right now, absolutely not."
The MP for Clacton has received blistering criticism for his past comments on Russia.
He previously accused the West of provoking the Russian invasion and following Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea said Mr Putin was "actually on our side" when it came to "the real threat" of Islamic extremism.
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Challenged over his previous comments, Mr Farage replied "There's no point looking back then, we are where we are now.
"We want a peace deal, surely everybody wants a peace deal, but it needs to be equitable. Right at the moment, it appears Russia is getting far too much."
Although Moscow agreed to pause hostilities in the Black Sea earlier this week, attempts to secure an end to attacks on each side's energy facilities have floundered.
Russia also continues to reject calls for an unconditional ceasefire proposed by the US and agreed to by Ukraine.
Trump's Black Sea ceasefire 'only favours the aggressor'
He also faced backlash over his reaction to Trump and Zelenskyy's Oval Office showdown.
Speaking with Nick Ferrari on LBC, Farage said Zelenskyy realised rapidly that he had “overplayed his hand” during the altercation.
"I think he played it badly....I wouldn't expect a guest to be rude in my house. If I turned up at the White House I'd make sure I was wearing a suit and my shoes were clean."
He added the Ukrainian leader has to "wake up and smell the coffee" - prompting criticism from senior Tories.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel said: “Nigel Farage is completely wrong. President Zelenskyy is a hero, who has stood up to Putin's aggression, and led his country's defence against their barbaric and illegal invasion over the last 3 years - and it is troubling to not hear the Leader of Reform say that.
Nigel Farage on Trump-Zelenskyy clash
It comes after Britain and France confirmed on Thursday that they are drawing up plans to send a "reassurance force" to Ukraine and will soon send military chiefs to the country to determine the scheme’s viability.
Earlier, Vladimir Putin vowed to "finish off" Ukraine and mocked the size of the British army after the force was announced.
Putin made the remarks while aboard a new nuclear submarine during a visit to an Arctic naval base on Thursday.
He claimed Russian forces have the "strategic initiative" along the Ukrainian front line and had reason to believe his army would "finish them off".
The British-French delegation heading to Ukraine will also be joined by a team from Germany, with Starmer saying Britain is "ready" to to come up with an "operational" deal.
"We will be ready to operationalise a peace deal whenever its precise shape turns out to be, and we will work together to ensure Ukraine’s security so it can defend and deter against the future," Starmer said.
However, not all European allies of Ukraine agree on the proposed deployment of an armed force in the country."It is not unanimous," French President Emmanuel Macron said.
"We do not need unanimity to achieve it."
Kyiv and Moscow agreed in principle earlier this month to a limited ceasefire after Trump spoke with the countries' leaders, but the parties have offered different views of what targets would be off-limits to attack.