As we reported live today, the UK’s right-wing Reform Party has overtaken the ruling Conservative Party for the first time in an opinion poll.
Amid the development – which puts Reform second only to Labor – its leader is expected to face further scrutiny.
As such, Nigel Farage was asked this morning about his previous remarks praising the Russian president.
Vladimir Putin is a “clever political operator”, Farage told BBC Radio 5 Live, before adding that he “doesn’t like him as a person at all”.
On his admiring comments about the Russian president, the reformist leader said: “Yes, but not as a person.”
Asked why, Mr Farage said: “How many years has he been in power? He’s gone from Prime Minister to President, he’s a clever political operator. He kills journalists, I don’t like him at all as a person. Everyone.
“You can recognize the fact that some people are good at what they do, even if they have evil intentions.”
Asked if Adolf Hitler was good at what he did, Mr Farage replied: “How as a public speaker? What do you think? It’s obviously a very dangerous way to be hypnotised.”
For contextIn 2014, Mr Farage named Putin as the leader he most admired, describing his handling of the Syrian crisis as “brilliant”.
According to him, he liked the Russian president for his work, not for his political and personal approach.
Asked which world leader he most admired, Mr Farage told GQ magazine at the time: “As a cameraman, but not as a person, I would say Putin.
“The way he played all of Syria. It’s brilliant. Not that I approve of him politically. How many journalists are in prison now?”