{"id":313516,"date":"2025-11-23T11:01:51","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T11:01:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/zia-yusuf-wont-call-nigel-farages-putin-comments-a-mistake\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T11:01:51","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T11:01:51","slug":"zia-yusuf-wont-call-nigel-farages-putin-comments-a-mistake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=313516","title":{"rendered":"Zia Yusuf Won’t Call Nigel Farage’s Putin Comments A Mistake"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Zia Yusuf <\/a>has refused to condemn Nigel Farage\u2019s<\/a> previous claim that the west had \u201cprovoked\u201d Vladimir Putin\u2019s<\/a> invasion Ukraine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Reform UK\u2019s<\/a> head of policy was questioned<\/a> over the party leader\u2019s remarks from last June, when Farage said eastwards expansion of Nato and the EU had triggered the war.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Speaking during the 2024 election campaign,<\/a> Farage said: \u201cIt was obvious to me that the ever-eastwards expansion of Nato and the EU was giving this man, Putin, a reason to say they\u2019re coming for us again, and go to war.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe provoked this war.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sky News\u2019 <\/a>Trevor Phillips<\/a> reminded Yusuf of these comments during a wider conversation about the US\u2019s new peace proposals to end the conflict.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But Yusuf insisted his party was tough on Russia,<\/a> and rejected Phillips\u2019 claim that this theory could encourage Putin.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He said: \u201cWhen he [Farage] was pressed as to how he would respond if he was prime minister and Russian jets encroached into Nato airspace, his view was that those planes should be shot down. We are crystal clear about our position.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Phillips said: \u201cDo you think it was a mistake of him to use those words, \u2018we provoked this war?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Yusuf said: \u201cNo, because of the context of him merely repeating what he said a decade ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He added: \u201cI would also say this: the notion that Vladimir Putin, the murderous dictator, is making decisions based on what Nigel Farage is saying here in England, I think is for the birds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe are now in a situation where Ukraine\u2019s sovereignty has been violated, and Vladimir Putin needs to be brought to heel.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He added: \u201cReform and Nigel stands with Ukrainians as prime minister.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt is not Nigel\u2019s position that \u2018we provoked the war\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Speaking on Donald Trump\u2019s<\/a> new deal to end the Ukraine war, Yusuf said the initial reaction from the party is that \u201ctoo much\u201d is being given to Russia, and that Ukraine is the ultimate decider.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Farage also told The Telegraph<\/a> over the weekend that Trump\u2019s deal is \u201cnot acceptable\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t think Ukraine being asked to halve the size of their army is acceptable. I am waiting to see a counter-proposal from Zelensky\u2019s government,\u201d the party leader said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Labour chair Anna Turley hit out at Reform after Yusuf\u2019s interview, saying: \u201cNigel Farage called Vladimir Putin the leader he most admired and has repeatedly parroted Kremlin talking points. It\u2019s astonishing that Reform\u2019s top team continues to peddle the Russian narrative on its barbaric invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cDays after Farage\u2019s right-hand-man in Wales was jailed for pocketing pro-Russian bribes, Reform just can\u2019t stop themselves from pandering to Moscow. The public can have no confidence that Nigel Farage\u2019s party doesn\u2019t now pose a real threat to Britain\u2019s national security.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cReform must urgently allow an independent investigation to root-out pro-Russia links, to assure the public that Putin holds no sway over their party or its representatives.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Reform has been in the spotlight this week after its former party leader in Wales Nathan Gill was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison after he was found guilty of accepting bribes in exchange for sharing pro-Russian propaganda in the European parliament.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Labour has since called <\/a>for Farage to launch an independent probe into any pro-Russian ties within his own party.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Pressed over Reform\u2019s response to Gill\u2019s sentencing, Yusuf told Sky News: \u201cWhat [Gill] did was treasonous, it was horrific, it was awful.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHe\u2019s now been dealt with by the authorities. He deserves the sentence that he\u2019s got. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThis guy as far as we\u2019re concerned is ancient history \u2013 I\u2019ve never met him. I\u2019d never heard of him actually until I saw his name, sadly, in the newspaper.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He claimed it is \u201cunfair\u201d to \u201cbesmirch\u201d supporters of Reform and Farage because of one person.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n