A former Scotland leader of Nigel Farage’s previous party has been under scrutiny over pro-Russian statements since an explosive court case. The Ferret analysed what David Coburn said about Russia – and Ukraine – throughout his political career.
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A former Scotland leader of Nigel Farage’s previous party has been under scrutiny over pro-Russian statements since an explosive court case. The Ferret analysed what David Coburn said about Russia – and Ukraine – throughout his political career.
From claiming that Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine would be “quite a coup”, to accusing the European Union (EU) of warmongering with Russia, Coburn has a history of statements arguably aligned with Kremlin talking points.
The arch-Eurosceptic frequently used Russian conflicts as a means to slam the EU, including while serving as a member of European parliament (MEP).
Controversial claims included branding the Liberal Democrats as “quislings” – enemy collaborators – after its European voting bloc advocated Ukraine’s EU membership.
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Coburn expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin. But he also criticised the Russian president, alongside a relatively small number of negative comments about Moscow.
In November, the leader of Reform UK Wales was sentenced to more than a decade in prison after admitting receiving payments in return for making pro-Kremlin statements.
Nathan Gill and Coburn went on a 2018 “fact-finding mission” to pro-Moscow TV channels in Ukraine, which the Kyiv government threatened with closure. The trip was paid for by a front reportedly created by Russian intelligence agents.
Weeks later, the MEPs made statements citing press freedom issues in Kyiv, with Coburn questioning whether Ukraine should be allowed to join the EU.
Sentencing Gill, the judge said he was paid for his statement, which was “meticulously scripted” by a former pro-Russian Ukrainian MP, Oleg Voloshyn.
Other as-yet unnamed British former MEPs are reportedly facing investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s counter terrorism unit and, on 16 December, the Westminster government announced a review into foreign financial interference.
There is no suggestion that Coburn is under probe or knew the alleged Russian source of the trip’s funding.
But messages reportedly referred to in Gill’s prosecution brought Coburn a flurry of media attention. Gill was said to have discussed bribes with Voloshyn, and references were made to money which was to be distributed to an MEP called David.
Following these revelations, The Ferret trawled through Coburn’s contributions to the European parliament, and hundreds of his posts about Russia, Ukraine, Moscow and Putin on the X platform, which spanned between 2012 and 2023.
These are some of his most notable statements.
Coburn was critical of the EU’s approach to Russia long before becoming an MEP. Writing on X in 2012, he said ”EUcrats stick their noses into everything”, including “Russia's affairs”.
He spoke favourably of the Russian president in 2013, commenting: “Putin's confidence and [the] way he lectures US admin[istration] on democracy has given back pride to Russia”. Coburn called for a UK prime minister who would “stick up for its citizens the way Putin does”.
In February 2014, Moscow invaded Crimea and a war between Russian-backed separatists and Kyiv government forces in eastern Ukraine followed. In March, Coburn wrote on X: “I like any country that defends its national sovereignty and [is] willing to defend itself if necessary”.
Jamie Mann
On 1 July 2014, Coburn was elected as a UKIP MEP for Scotland, and appointed as party leader north of the border. In September, he claimed the EU did not understand Putin, but “will when the tanks roll in – just sayin #Ukraine”.
In the following months, he told MEPs that EU “interference in Ukraine was close to causing war”, and opposed the EU’s “foolish” association agreements with Georgia and Moldova, citing Moscow’s military capabilities.
In 2015 he said the EU should “stop arguing” with Moscow over the annexation of Crimea and “be friendly” with Russia due to their “common enemy” in the rising Islamic State.
In 2016, the MEP, who made regular appearances on Kremlin-backed news outlet Russia Today (RT) – as did British politicians from across the political spectrum – came to its defence. When RT’s UK bank account was frozen, Coburn pledged to "do everything" to support it.
But later that year, Coburn, who is gay, told MEPs: “Mr Putin is no angel. He locks up homosexuals and does all sorts of appalling things.” Coburn had previously stated on X, in 2014, that “no one in Russia has been arrested for being homosexual” and that he was planning a trip to the country.
In January 2018, Coburn challenged parliamentary discussions around “so-called Russian propaganda in EU countries”, adding that he was “more concerned with EU propaganda than the clunky Russian version”.
Jamie Mann
He made reference to RT, which was accused of pushing disinformation and later fined for breaching UK impartiality rules. The network gave UKIP “a voice” when the party was not covered by the BBC, and was “defending freedom”, which the EU aimed to “close down”, he said, adding: “So thank god for them.”
During an October debate, Coburn said he was “as concerned as next man” about Russian activity in the UK, referencing the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in England, of which Moscow was accused. But he added: “If we don’t do business with Russia there will be enormous trouble. It’s better to do business with them than to fight them, would you not agree?”
From 30 October to 1 November 2018, Coburn, Gill and another MEP, Jonathan Arnott, travelled to Ukraine to meet representatives of pro-Russia TV networks.
Later in November, Coburn claimed on X that in its opposition to nuclear weapons, the SNP “play into Putin’s hands”. Minutes later, he posted: “EU has expansionist plans eastward and make no mistake Putin will be watching”.
Coburn announced he was quitting UKIP on 6 December 2018, citing its shift to the far right.
On 11 December, he told parliament the Kyiv government was not upholding press freedom and accused it of plotting to close the TV channels he had visited. “Can this chamber truthfully say that the Ukraine which behaves this way is ready for EU entry?”, he asked.
Coburn officially became an independent MEP on 9 January 2019 and joined Farage’s new Brexit Party on 12 February.
Gill and Coburn went on to join the “international editorial board” of one of the TV stations and hosted an event for it at the European Parliament alongside Viktor Medvedchuk, a pro-Russia Ukrainian oligarch who reportedly owned the channel and counts Putin as his daughter’s godfather.
Media reports citing prosecution documents state that on 3 April, Gill and Medvedchuk exchanged messages in which they discussed plans for money to be distributed between Gill and "the other MEP", called "David".
Coburn’s term as an MEP ended on 1 July. The following year, he wrote on X: “If Russia invaded Ukraine at [the] same time as China invaded Taiwan that would be quite a coup”.
Our research prompted several politicians to condemn Coburn’s statements.
The SNP’s Colin Beattie, who chairs Holyrood cross-party group on Ukraine, said: “David Coburn’s alleged involvement with the scandal surrounding the Russian state bribing Nathan Gill is of no surprise when you investigate his past statements on Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.
“His abhorrent comments merely parroted Kremlin propaganda such as accusing Ukraine and the EU of being the cause of the war among other ridiculous assertions which must be challenged for the lies they are.”
Lib Dem MP Susan Murray said: “David Coburn was paid to represent Scotland but what he actually did was spend his time waltzing round Europe making excuses for Putin. It seems unlikely that David Coburn will be returning to the political frontline anytime soon but there is still an urgent need to Putin-proof our politics so that bad actors cannot exploit our political system to deliver Kremlin talking points.”
David Coburn was paid to represent Scotland but what he actually did was spend his time waltzing round Europe making excuses for Putin.
Coburn’s former MEP colleague, Jonathan Arnott, told The Ferret about his “strange” trip to Ukraine with Coburn and Gill.
“At the time, I believed the choreographed feel to be merely a result of TV channels fighting for their survival,” he said. “We met journalists who had been assaulted (widely reported in the UK at the time). We spoke to both sides, including Ukrainian authorities, which formed the rationale for my speech.”
Arnott said he was not aware the trip’s funder was reportedly a Russian spy front with the same name as a genuine organisation, but would have “considered it too fanciful to be a spy novel”. He added: “Looking back seven years later, and now knowing the nature of the funding, the biggest frustration is that I can no longer believe the evidence of my own eyes and ears. Maybe I'll never know what was true and what wasn't."
He added: “My speech in the European Parliament criticised Russia up-front and is clearly written in my own style. I tried to change a European Parliament resolution to add more criticism of Russia, and shortly afterwards I criticised Russia for seven different things in a single speech."
The Ferret attempted to contact David Coburn.
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