Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK and a perennial figure in British politics, has ignited controversy once again—this time with a call for Britain to shoot down Russian jets entering NATO airspace. In a series of interviews and public statements made on October 16 and 17, 2025, Farage outlined a hardened stance on Russian aggression, sought to distance himself from past remarks perceived as sympathetic to Vladimir Putin, and staked out a position that places him firmly in the ongoing debate over Western responses to the war in Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg, Farage was unequivocal in his response when asked how Britain should react if Russian jets crossed into allied airspace: “Gotta shoot them down.” This direct statement came as Farage attempted to rebut longstanding accusations that he is soft on the Kremlin. In fact, he went further, labeling Putin “a very bad dude” and “irrational,” marking his strongest public condemnation of the Russian leader to date. As reported by GB News, Farage vowed: “I’d shoot down Russian jets as PM.”
This tough rhetoric comes at a moment when Farage’s past views on Russia and Putin are under renewed scrutiny. Back in 2014, in an interview with GQ Magazine, Farage had described Putin as someone he admired “as an operator, but not as a human being,” referencing the Russian president’s maneuvering over Syria. “The way he played the whole Syria thing. Brilliant. Not that I approve of him politically. How many journalists in jail now?” he said, a comment that has dogged him ever since. In a 2024 interview with the BBC, Farage clarified: “I said I disliked him as a person, but admired him as a political operator, because he’s managed to take control of running Russia.”
Labour Party Chair Anna Turley, speaking to Bloomberg, accused Farage of “panicking and desperately trying to backtrack” on his views about Putin. She added, “Putin doesn’t have to pay Nigel Farage to spout Russian talking points – he does it for free.” The criticism was echoed in the House of Commons, where Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer labeled Reform UK as “Kremlin cronies,” referencing the conviction of former Reform UK Wales leader Nathan Gill for accepting bribes to make pro-Russian statements. Starmer declared, “Whatever their denials, they have serious questions to answer about what they knew. But that is the choice – Kremlin cronies sewing division or Labour patriots working for national renewal.”
Farage, for his part, expressed anger and surprise over Gill’s conviction, telling Bloomberg, “We had a bad apple in this bloke? Yes.” He insisted, “I believe, 100%, with all my heart, there’s nobody else” in his party who acted similarly. While campaigning in Wales, Farage described Gill as “a God-fearing Christian, somebody that you would think was the least corruptible person,” and insisted he “didn’t know anything about” Gill’s pro-Russian activities.
Farage’s recent statements are not limited to tough talk on airspace violations. He also indicated a willingness to send British troops to Ukraine, but only as part of a United Nations peacekeeping force, not as “badged” British Army soldiers. “I’d be very cautious about doing that,” he said when asked if he would back Prime Minister Starmer’s plan to put European troops in Ukraine to enforce a potential ceasefire. However, he voiced support for a UN-style force, emphasizing the need for international legitimacy and caution in any military deployment.
On the subject of supporting Ukraine financially, Farage advocated for the use of frozen Russian assets to help the embattled nation. “I would support spending frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine,” he told Bloomberg’s The Mishal Husain Show. This position puts him in line with many Western leaders who see Russia’s seized wealth as a resource for Ukraine’s reconstruction and defense.
Farage also criticized Putin for failing to engage with efforts to end the war, particularly those led by former U.S. President Donald Trump. “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,” Farage lamented. He added, “I suspect what you will see over the course of the coming months, the Americans beginning to deliver Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv. I think Trump feels that Putin has made a fool of him.”
These comments came just hours before Trump himself announced plans to meet Putin in Budapest to discuss the war, underscoring the ongoing and complex interplay between Western leaders and the Kremlin. Farage’s remarks also echoed Trump’s recent calls for NATO forces to shoot down Russian planes that breach their airspace—a stance that has found some resonance among NATO allies. Shortly after Trump’s comments, Polish Foreign Affairs Minister Radosław Sikorski responded with a succinct “Roger that.”
The backdrop to Farage’s statements is a tense and evolving security situation in Eastern Europe. On September 10, 2025, about 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, prompting NATO jets to shoot some of them down and the Royal Air Force (RAF) to fly air defense missions over Poland. Prime Minister Starmer responded by affirming the UK’s commitment to “bolster its eastern flank through Eastern Sentry,” stating, “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.”
The debate over how to respond to Russian provocations has also reached the highest levels of European leadership. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently stated that the option of shooting down a fighter jet intruding into NATO airspace is “on the table.” Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has convened defense ministers to discuss easing the rules of engagement, potentially allowing for a more immediate military response to Russian incursions.
Farage’s stance—once seen as ambiguous, if not sympathetic, toward the Kremlin—has now shifted decisively. He appears determined to cast himself as a defender of British and allied interests, even as he remains critical of what he sees as the West’s role in provoking the conflict. Farage reiterated arguments that NATO and the EU’s “endless eastward expansion” helped drive Russia to invade Ukraine, a position that aligns with some of the Kremlin’s talking points but is also debated within Western policy circles.
As the war in Ukraine grinds on and tensions between NATO and Russia remain high, the question of how Britain and its allies should respond to potential airspace violations is no longer hypothetical. Farage’s blunt answer—“shoot them down”—reflects a growing sense of urgency and willingness among some Western leaders to take decisive action. Whether this posture will help or hinder his political ambitions remains to be seen, but it has certainly ensured that Farage remains at the center of Britain’s foreign policy debate.
