Reform UK Salisbury candidate says Putin 'seemed very good'

[Emrys]

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Julian Malins KC told a hustings audience that the Russian president "is not the Austrian gentleman with a moustache come alive again" on Sunday evening, June 23.
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Acknowledging that thousands of young Ukrainian and Russian men were dying as he spoke, Mr Malins added: "We support diplomacy. We support every possible effort to reach a compromise and a settlement over the issues in Ukraine.
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The 74-year-old continued: "War is not about as it were punishing or in some way running over thousands of young men n tanks and blowing them up because one person takes points of view which you disagree with.

"I have actually met Putin and had a 10-minute chat with him and he seemed very good. He is not the Austrian gentleman with a moustache come alive again."

Boos and looks of disgust were directed towards Mr Malins, who does not live in Salisbury, after he made this statement.

https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/24407670.reform-uk-salisbury-candidate-says-putin-seemed-good/

For a venerable KC, Malins' debate strategy seems rather lacking. It didn't take long for a member of the audience to bring up novichok and the Skripals. Malins' enthusiasm for cathedral spires hasn't been explored at time of writing.