Nigel Farage threw a jibe at the Prime Minister after branding Vladimir Putin a “monster” and “a very dangerous man”.
Addressing journalists at a press conference in the heart of Westminster, the Reform chief blasted allegations that he was a Kremlin sympathiser.
A public inquiry today found the Russian President was “morally responsible” for the 2018 Novichok poisonings which culminated in the death of Dawn Sturgess, 44, after she unknowing sprayed herself with novichok in a perfume bottle.
Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal as well as his daughter Yulia had been previously attacked with the nerve agent four months beforehand.
Standing up to address Mr Farage, GB News’ Chief Political Correspondent asked: “The inquiry on the Dawn Sturgess murder has found that Putin is morally responsible. And is that your view, too?
“Because at the time that the Skripals were still in hospital, didn’t you say that the then Government had jumped the gun in blaming Russia?”
In response, he said: “I didn’t know what had happened. There was a poisoning.
“Do I think Putin’s a monster? I think he proves that with every single week that goes by.
The Reform UK leader has consistently slapped down accusations that he and his party ‘fawn’ over the Russian leader
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“My friend Donald Trump genuinely thought he could somehow get the Ukrainians, the Russian leaders together and forge some kind of sensible compromise to end the sort of scale of killing we’ve not seen on a battlefield since probably World War I, or maybe Stalingrad going on in Europe.
“And Putin proves with every week that goes by that he’s not rational, that he doesn’t want a just settlement, and that, frankly, he is an incredibly dangerous man.
“So of that, there is absolutely no doubt.
But Mr Farage was quick to address claims made against him, often led by Sir Keir Starmer and Labour ministers, he was “pro-Putin”.
Sir Keir Starmer demanded Mr Farage order an investigation to ascertain ‘pro-Russian links’ in Reform UK
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GB NEWS“I’m ‘pro-Putin’ because I once said in 2013 I admired him as a leader, but disliked him as a human being and wouldn’t live in the Soviet Union.
“Shortly after, I’m a Russian asset, apparently, according to Starmer.
“After that, the Queen met him. Whether she whether she was a Russian asset, I’m not entirely sure,” the Reform chief wryly smiled.
Reform UK fell under fire for its Russian links after former Welsh leader Nathan Gill was thrown behind bars for 10 years for accepting bribes from Moscow.
Speaking to GB News at the G20 summit, Sir Keir previously called for Mr Farage’s party to order an investigation to ascertain “pro-Russian links” within his organisation.
But Mr Farage slapped down such demands soon after, adding: “The Putin stuff’s nonsense.
“Just because I said in 2013 that I admired him as a political operator, but didn’t like him as a human being, before the Ukrainian invasion.
Instead, Mr Farage said he would welcome a broader investigation due to increasing concerns over Chinese influence, which has been the subject of ever-increasing concern in Westminster.