UK should shoot Russian jets in Nato airspace, says Farage

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says Britain should shoot down Russian jets if they enter Nato airspace, as he hit back at claims he admired Vladimir Putin.

Speaking to Bloomberg news, Farage said he would send British troops to Ukraine as part of a United Nations peacekeeping force if he became prime minister.

Farage has been dogged by accusations of sympathy for Putin since saying in 2014 that he "admired" the Russian president "as an operator" and that the West provoked Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which is Putin's longstanding position.

Labour Party Chair Anna Turley accused Farage of "panicking and desperately trying to backtrack" on his views about Putin.

Turley said Farage "can't help himself" and was "still peddling the Russian line on their illegal invasion of Ukraine being the fault of the West," in the interview with Bloomberg's Mishal Husain.

"Putin doesn't have to pay Nigel Farage to spout Russian talking points - he does it for free."

According to Bloomberg, Farage reiterated arguments that Nato and the EU's "endless eastward expansion" helped drive Russia to invade Ukraine.

But he significantly hardened his position on Putin, who he called "a very bad dude" in the interview.

Asked if he would back the prime minister's commitment to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire in the war with Russia, Farage said: "I'd be very cautious about doing that."

While he said he would not want "badged" British Army soldiers there, he could support their presence as part of a UN peacekeeping force.

Asked what he would do if Russian jets crossed into allied airspace, Farage replied: "Gotta shoot them down."

On 10 September, about 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, prompting Nato jets to shoot some of them down.

Following the incursion, Royal Air Force (RAF) jets were deployed to fly air defence missions over Poland to counter aerial threats from Russia.

Farage said he would support spending frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine.

He also criticized Putin for not joining US President Donald Trump's efforts to stop the fighting.

"I was really hoping that Trump would bring Putin to heel, that some kind of compromise could be struck, as it's just been recently struck with Gaza and Israel. Clearly, that is not going to happen.

"I suspect what you will see over the course of the coming months, the Americans beginning to deliver Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv," Farage said.

"I think Trump feels that Putin has made a fool of him."

Farage's interview with Bloomberg came only hours before Trump announced plans to meet Putin in Budapest to discuss the war.

In social media video ahead of his Bloomberg interview, Farage said he hoped it would put an end to the "old Russia hoax stuff that comes up again and again".

In the post he said: "If Russian planes encroach over Nato territory, Britain should shoot them down."

In late March 2014, GQ Magazine published parts of an interview with Farage, who was then the leader of UKIP.

In response to a question about the current world leader he admires the most, Mr Farage said: "As an operator, but not as a human being, I would say Putin.

"The way he played the whole Syria thing. Brilliant. Not that I approve of him politically. How many journalists in jail now?"

Farage's position on Putin has faced fresh scrutiny this week after Reform UK's ex-Welsh leader admitted taking bribes to make statements in favour of Russia while a UKIP Member of the European Parliament.

Last month, Nathan Gill, pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery between 6 December 2018 and 18 July 2019.

Gill was one of seven UKIP politicians elected to the Senedd in 2016 when the party was led by Farage and then became Reform's leader in Wales.

Following the revelation Farage said he knew Gill as a "God-fearing Christian, somebody that you would think was the least corruptible person".

While campaigning in Wales, Farage said he was "stunned" to learn of Gill's crimes and insisted he "didn't know anything about" his pro-Russian statements.

Farage's remarks to Bloomberg echoed Trump's call last month for Nato forces to shoot down Russian planes that breach their airspace.

Shortly afterwards, Polish Foreign Affairs Minister Radosław Sikorski responded to a clip of Trump's comments, saying "Roger that".

Trump's own stance on Russia has toughened since he began his second presidential term expressing trust in Putin, and heavily criticising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a fiery meeting in the White House in February.

Following Russia's incursion into Polish airspace, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said "the UK will support Nato's efforts to bolster its eastern flank through Eastern Sentry".

The RAF aircraft "are not just a show of strength, they are vital in deterring aggression, securing Nato airspace, and protecting our national security and that of our allies," he added.

Since then, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the option of shooting down a fighter jet that is intruding into Nato airspace is "on the table".

Earlier this week, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte met defence ministers to discuss easing rules so troops can shoot down Russian jets.

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