Reform's Zia Yusuf Refuses To Call Farage's Past Comments On Putin And Ukraine A 'Mistake'

Reform's Zia Yusuf defended party leader Nigel Farage over his past remarks on Vladimir Putin.Zia Yusuf has refused to condemn Nigel Farage’s previous claim that the west had “provoked” Vladimir Putin’s invasion Ukraine.Reform UK’s head of policy was questioned over the party leader’s remarks from last June, when Farage said eastwards expansion of Nato and the EU had triggered the war.Speaking during the 2024 election campaign, Farage said: “It was obvious to me that the ever-eastwards expansion of Nato and the EU was giving this man, Putin, a reason to say they’re coming for us again, and go to war.“We provoked this war.”Sky News’ Trevor Phillips reminded Yusuf of these comments during a wider conversation about the US’s new peace proposals to end the conflict.But Yusuf insisted his party was tough on Russia, and rejected Phillips’ claim that this theory could encourage Putin.He said: “When 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.”Phillips said: “Do you think it was a mistake of him to use those words, ‘we provoked this war?’”Yusuf said: “No, because of the context of him merely repeating what he said a decade ago.”He added: “I 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.“We are now in a situation where Ukraine’s sovereignty has been violated, and Vladimir Putin needs to be brought to heel.”He added: “Reform and Nigel stands with Ukrainians as prime minister.“It is not Nigel’s position that ‘we provoked the war’.”Speaking on Donald Trump’s new deal to end the Ukraine war, Yusuf said the initial reaction from the party is that “too much” is being given to Russia, and that Ukraine is the ultimate decider.Farage also told The Telegraph over the weekend that Trump’s deal is “not acceptable”.“I don’t think Ukraine being asked to halve the size of their army is acceptable. I am waiting to see a counter-proposal from Zelensky’s government,” the party leader said.Labour chair Anna Turley hit out at Reform after Yusuf’s interview, saying: “Nigel Farage called Vladimir Putin the leader he most admired and has repeatedly parroted Kremlin talking points. It’s astonishing that Reform’s top team continues to peddle the Russian narrative on its barbaric invasion of Ukraine.“Days after Farage’s right-hand-man in Wales was jailed for pocketing pro-Russian bribes, Reform just can’t stop themselves from pandering to Moscow. The public can have no confidence that Nigel Farage’s party doesn’t now pose a real threat to Britain’s national security.“Reform 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.”Reform's policy chief Zia Yusuf refuses to accept that Nigel Farage made a mistake by saying 'we provoked this war' after several questions from @TrevorPTweets about the Reform leader's past remarks on Ukraine.https://t.co/9OMgbgGHUK#TrevorPhillips📺 Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/E6Vwj2N3Qv— Sky News (@SkyNews) November 23, 2025Reform 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.Labour has since called for Farage to launch an independent probe into any pro-Russian ties within his own party.Pressed over Reform’s response to Gill’s sentencing, Yusuf told Sky News: “What [Gill] did was treasonous, it was horrific, it was awful.“He’s now been dealt with by the authorities. He deserves the sentence that he’s got. “This guy as far as we’re concerned is ancient history – I’ve never met him. I’d never heard of him actually until I saw his name, sadly, in the newspaper.”He claimed it is “unfair” to “besmirch” supporters of Reform and Farage because of one person.Related...Putin's Chilling Response To Trump Peace Plan Shows Why It Is Bad News For UkraineBBC Expert Warns Trump's New Peace Plan With Russia Would Allow Putin To Declare 'Victory''Putin's Pet!' Nigel Farage Heckled While Proposing ECHR Withdrawal In Commons

Comments

Breaking news

David Lammy set to unveil major reforms to UK justice system this week

Independent

Comments

Similar News

David Lammy set to unveil major reforms to UK justice system this week

N.Y. Lawmakers Put Pressure on Hochul to Sign Prison Reform Bills

Post-Budget poll of Daily Mail readers shows Reform as the CLEAR favourite for power and Donald Trump as a man to fix the mess!

LBC Presenter Angers Reform's Zia Yusuf By Asking If Nigel Farage 'Is a Russian Asset'

Nigel Farage Accuser Claims Reform UK Leader Told Him 'Hitler Was Right'

Reeves blasted over business rates blunder: Small firms face BIGGER bills after reforms

‘We’re Going to Clean House’: UN Amb. Waltz Touts $1B Saved in Early UN Reforms — ‘We’re Just Getting Started’

Families of women who died after violence demand reform

The major changes taxi drivers could face under new licensing reforms

Rattled Reform leader Nigel Farage issues new statement on racism allegations

Farage Accuses Tories of Incitement over Chairman's Post Comparing Reform to Nazis

POLL OF THE DAY: Could Reform oust Sadiq Khan in London?

Nigel Farage says he was never racist 'with intent' when he was a schoolboy as Reform leader breaks silence on allegations about his behaviour

Reform UK surge reaches LONDON as poll shows Labour support diving amid Sadiq Khan backlash and fears capital will be hammered with 'mansion tax'

Tories clash over chairman's Nazi jibe at Nigel Farage's Reform

Farage Mocked After Giving Bizarre Reason For Not Investigating Reform Russia Claims

Reform UK in Scotland urged not to take any money from Russia as Holyrood election looms

RICHARD TICE: How Reform will end the Great Green Fraud that is Drax - which burns one tree EVERY SECOND and gets billions of your cash

Ex-Reform UK chair wants fewer young to go to university - after going to top institution himself

Top minister blasts Reform and Tories' views on Britain as she unveils major tech plan

Breaking news

David Lammy set to unveil major reforms to UK justice system this week

Dozens of Palestine Action supporters arrested after fresh wave of protests

Pentagon rolls out the welcome wagon for new MAGA-friendly press corps

Cheating in lightning chess - how unproven allegations ended in tragedy

David Lammy says Labour inherited 'courts emergency' amid plans to axe most jury trials

New trial allows HIV testing kits delivered to your door with results on phone

Gemma Collins 'confirms she is staying in Essex with plans to buy new home after £1.8M payday' despite stalker hell and rumoured Dubai move

MAIL ON SUNDAY COMMENT: Honesty in politics will count for nothing if Reeves does not quit

Crime boss 'living the high life' after returning to UK fights second deportation on human rights grounds

Reeves will be lucky if the only punishment for this shameful deceit is the loss of her job: DAN HODGES

Now Angela Rayner faces new storm over tax on her grace and favour apartment

EastEnders legend Shaun Williamson reveals heartbreaking reason behind his epic soap return

Exposed: the Dubai-based fat cats making millions from asylum-seekers' taxis

Linda Robson shares update on best friend and Birds Of A Feather co-star Pauline Quirke amid dementia battle

Neighbours star Holly Valance snapped lounging on a steam train with hard-Right thug Tommy Robinson... as friends of the pop star say she has gone down a 'rabbit hole'

Alex Scott jokes she's too boring for I'm A Celebrity after Lioness is first kicked out of the jungle

Andrew told Epstein victim: I know he's been 'inappropriate' with another woman... a YEAR before ex-prince met his accuser Virginia Giuffre, lawyers for abused actress claim

RIP Sir Tom Stoppard: The woman-loving wordsmith who fled Hitler to become the greatest (and wittiest) playwright of his generation

Freddy Brazier's pregnant ex Holly Swinburn breaks silence on their split as she claims star had 'drug parties with girls in her house'

Catastrophic south-east Asia flooding leaves at least 600 dead with tens of thousands displaced as villages are submerged

Ellie Goulding strolls in west London wearing padded £2,950 Miu Miu jacket... but is it to hide some 'good news' for her and boyfriend Beau Minniear?

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi backtrack on plan to stay in UK while Trump is in power as couple plot return to sunny California to escape chilly Cotswold winter

TALK OF THE TOWN: V&A is just not ready for Freddie as it turns down Queen frontman's fashion collection

Corbyn's Your Party in chaos after co-founder Zarah Sultana snubs her own conference

Thousands of men with prostate cancer risk life-changing side effects because they aren't offered type of therapy received by David Cameron

The five things that set the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season apart

Is tracking your adult children OK or should parents learn to let go?

They have six packs - but they're still jumping on and off weight-loss jabs

A simple test could have given our son a very different future

The Papers: 'Reeves must go' and Tom Stoppard tributes

It's time to lock in and let your winter arc begin

The Ex-President Whom Trump Plans to Pardon Flooded America With Cocaine

Syria Tiptoes Toward Transitional Justice One Year After Assad’s Ouster

First picture of ‘genuine and funny’ man, 25, who died after falling from tower block

Lotto jackpot rolls over to £8,600,000 after no one claims prize

MP Ayoub Khan ‘killed a dog with his hands to save a baby’

Prince William ‘moved by courage’ of Gazan children brought to UK for treatment

Arrests made in New York after protesters appear to foil ICE raid with barricade of bodies and garbage bags

Thanksgiving home invasion leaves dog dead and widow without wedding ring and mortgage payment

Female cop banned from force after making 'unwanted sexual approach' to senior officer

Ukrainian officials head to US for peace talks - while dramatic footage shows Russian oil tanker being hit

Woman jailed for having sex outside busy shopping centre in broad daylight

Councils given record funding to fix potholes - but could lose it if they don't

Man accused of shooting Glasgow gangsters dead at Spanish bar pictured

'Severe allergic reaction made me lose my memory - I couldn't recognise myself'

Mum and dad screamed 'help us' as son 'beat them, set fire to home then escaped'

Rapist Met cop David Carrick's downfall - from 'popular' boy to serial sex offender

'Black hole' row: Call for Financial Conduct Authority investigation

Reeves must go for her Budget lies, say voters: Poll delivers damning verdict on Chancellor as No 10 admits that PM also knew there was no 'black hole'

I'm A Celebrity's Alex Scott reveals she is leaving Australia early to be with her girlfriend Jess Glynne

I'm A Celeb viewers brand Vogue Williams 'Superwoman' as gym loving model 'smashes' brutal 'Total Wipeout style' trial

Extraordinary moment explosion sends concrete blocks and chemical tank flying through the air near homes in Sydney's west - with factory fire set to burn ALL DAY

Vanessa Hudgens gives birth! High School Musical star welcomes second child with Cole Tucker

Greta Thunberg launches foul-mouthed tirade at 'fascist' Italian government during pro-Palestine protest in Rome - days after climate activist was banned from Venice

Was Charles' secret Cotswolds meeting with King of Bahrain a summit on his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's future?

Paige, 27, was told she was going to die from terminal brain cancer. Months later, doctors looked at her scans in pure disbelief

Russian drone and missile blitz on Ukraine's energy infrastructure leaves more than 600,000 in Kyiv without power