Are there direct transcripts or video clips of Farage defending Putin and their exact wording?
Executive summary
Nigel Farage has on-record comments praising Vladimir Putin “as an operator, but not as a human being,” a line traced to remarks he made in 2014 and repeatedly repeated or referenced since [1] [2]. Multiple outlets — PA Media, The Guardian and others — provide direct quotations and point to available recordings (Question Time, BBC; Chatham House; interviews) where his wording appears; available sources do not supply a single definitive clip compiling every defence claim [1] [2] [3].
1. What exact words exist on the record — and where they come from
The clearest short quotation widely cited is Farage’s 2014 formulation: “As an operator, but not as a human being, I would say Putin,” which PA Media reproduces and ties to BBC Question Time and archived interviews as provenance [1]. The Guardian and other papers quote extended phrasing — for example that Farage said he “didn’t like him, I wouldn’t trust him and I wouldn’t want to live in his country, but compared with the kids who run foreign policy in this country, I’ve more respect for him than our lot” — and identify a Chatham House appearance and other interviews as the sources of those longer remarks [2] [4].
2. Are there video transcripts or clips you can watch or read?
Reporters cite specific programmes and events where Farage made the lines: BBC Question Time (March 6, 2025, referenced by PA Media), a Chatham House audience, and broadcast interviews (PA Media and The Guardian note on-record appearances) [1] [2]. PA Media notes the Question Time recording’s timestamp for related discussion; The Guardian points to Chatham House and broadcast interviews as the provenance for the quoted wording [1] [2]. Available sources do not provide direct links to every original video clip but identify the programmes and dates where recordings exist [1] [2].
3. Has Farage “defended” Putin, or merely praised him as an operator? Competing interpretations
Farage and his allies frame his words as admiration of tactical political skill, not moral endorsement — “as an operator, but not as a human being” — a distinction he has reiterated when challenged, and he has denied being an “appeaser” or “apologist” for the invasion [1] [5]. Critics — including senior UK politicians and columnists — treat the same phrasing as evidence of a pro-Putin tilt and say it “plays into Putin’s hands,” with labels like “Putin apologist” and “fawning” used by James Cleverly, Keir Starmer and commentators [6] [3]. Both readings are present in the record and are reported by mainstream outlets [6] [3].
4. How reporting traces the evolution of his remarks
Press coverage shows a pattern: Farage’s 2014 comment is repeatedly cited as proof of long-standing sympathy, then revisited after 2024–25 interviews and articles in which he argued the West provoked Russia and warned against “poking the Russian bear” [2] [3]. Later interviews — reported by Bloomberg and others — show him both criticising Putin as “a very bad guy” and maintaining criticisms of Western policy, demonstrating shifts in tone that press outlets record and contrast [7] [8]. Reporters present both the original quotation and subsequent clarifications as evidence that his stance has moved over time [2] [7].
5. What the sources do not show or confirm
Available sources do not present a single authoritative compilation that captures every instance of Farage defending Putin; they instead cite multiple interviews, speeches and articles where similar wording appears [1] [2]. They do not supply video files or exhaustive verbatim transcripts of every appearance within the set you supplied; those would need to be retrieved from the named broadcasters (BBC, Chatham House event archives, Bloomberg, etc.) [1] [7] [2].
6. Where to look next if you want primary clips or full transcripts
Follow the leads journalists cite: the BBC recording of Question Time (March 6, 2025) and archives of Chatham House and broadcast interviews (mentioned by PA Media and The Guardian) for primary footage and fuller transcripts [1] [2]. PA Media and The Guardian are explicit about timestamps and programme names; broadcasters’ archives are the next step to obtain original video and complete verbatim context [1] [2].
Limitations: this analysis uses only the provided news items; it does not claim to have exhausted all public recordings, and it highlights disagreements in interpretation between Farage’s defenders and his critics as reported in the cited coverage [1] [6] [3].