Downing Street slaps down minister's call for Vladimir Putin to be toppled

23 February 2024 , 13:27

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The people of Russia should decide Vladimir Putin's future, said No10 (Image: Getty Images)

No10 has slapped down a Home Office minister's call for Vladimir Putin to be toppled.

Laura Farris raised eyebrows when she told BBC's Question Time that the Russian President should be removed from power. And she suggested the UK should have a role in his downfall - a comment which Downing Street distanced itself from.

Asked if Mr Sunak agreed with Ms Farris's remarks, a spokeswoman for the PM said: "Well, no, I think, as you we've before, Russia's future should be for the Russians to decide." Pressed whether this was possible as Russia doesn't have a functioning democracy, she said: "It's not for me to speak to the Russian people."

It comes after Ms Farris told the BBC show: "We alone can't determine his (Putin's) future but, collectively, with NATO, with the support of our allies, maintaining support for Ukraine - ultimately seeing them triumph - is the only way, ultimately, that we can remove him from power."

She accused the Russian leader of "cowardice" following the death of his opponent Alexei Navalny in prison last week. Ms Farris said: "If this shows us anything, it shows us why it is important to maintain the support we are giving to Ukraine, because we cannot indulge Putin's sort of alternative reality.

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"I mean, it is absolutely shocking that in 2024 a world leader can kill their number one opponent and know they won't suffer any consequences. It's also a sign of cowardice, actually, because if you can't take on your main political opponent, that shows you're inherently weak."

It comes on the eve of the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which started on February 24, 2022.

Dave Burke