Putin is a ‘vile dictator’ and ‘most evil villain’, says Reform UK’s Tice
The party’s deputy leader also condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Reform UK’s deputy leader has called Vladimir Putin a “vile dictator” and “most evil, evil villain”, amid criticism of his party’s approach to the Russian president.
Richard Tice said both he and party leader Nigel Farage believe Mr Putin is the aggressor in the war with Ukraine and he called for security guarantees to ensure Russia will “never, ever try this monstrous activity” again.
His condemnation of Russia comes days after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer accused Mr Farage of “fawning” over the Russian president, and SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn appeared to suggest Reform UK MPs are “Putin’s poodles”.
Mr Tice, speaking in a Commons debate to mark the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine, said: “We at Reform stand united with the whole of this House in support of Ukraine and all brave Ukrainians against the monstrous tyranny of that most evil, evil villain Putin.”
He added: “Just over 13 months ago, I donated to acquire a 4×4 pickup truck and to fill it with first aid, medical supplies and drive it with other volunteers to Ukraine, and to give it to those brave soldiers on the frontline.
“And I remember meeting the extraordinary technicians making the drones, including brilliant bright children helping to develop new drone technology, and tragically, sadly, I stood in a cemetery and watched the mums weep over the graves of their sons.
“And that cemetery now has almost doubled in size in just 12 months. So we all know that that maxim of ‘peace through strength’ has always stood the test of time – in history, today, and in the future – and that’s why at the election in our ‘contract’, we had 2.5% GDP on defence spending within three years, and 3% within six years.
“And that’s why we support the Prime Minister in his statements earlier this week in making those same commitments.”
Mr Tice said “peace through strength is vital” before Labour’s Melanie Ward (Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy) intervened to ask the Boston and Skegness MP about remarks previously made by Mr Farage.
When asked which world leader he most admired, Mr Farage said in 2014: “As an operator, but not as a human being, I would say Putin.
“The way he played the whole Syria thing. Brilliant. Not that I approve of him politically. How many journalists in jail now?”
Ms Ward asked Mr Tice: “I just wondered if he agreed with the leader of his party, the honourable member for Clacton, who is probably not in Clacton right now, when he said in 2014 that Vladimir Putin was the global leader that he most admired?”
Mr Tice replied: “The issue is that Putin is a vile dictator, we all know that and my leader has also confirmed that it is Putin that is the aggressor in this war.”
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge also intervened to say: “I respect his personal position on this but can he explain why the leader of his party thought that the priority for President Zelensky should be to set a timetable for elections when Winston Churchill, facing a dictator, didn’t hold them because we were under martial law? Does he agree?”
Mr Tice replied: “The point about elections is a good one because any peace deal can only work if it has the support and involvement of all Ukrainians.
“And, of course, in the Second World War we had elections in the summer of 1945 before the Second World War had ended so that was completely appropriate then and at some point the Ukrainians will need to be involved in supporting a peace deal if we get there.
“But a peace deal is only durable, it only works if it endures, and that means you have to have the security guarantees to ensure that the aggressor will never, ever, ever attack again, and those security guarantees are what we must focus on and all be involved in and ensure that it is a strong, robust deterrence.
“If we get those security guarantees right then hopefully Putin and Russia will never, ever try this monstrous activity and invasion ever again.”
The 1945 UK general election took place in July, several weeks after the Second World War came to an end in Europe.
The formal Japanese surrender to the Allies was signed in September 1945, although the decision to do so was taken the previous month.
