Shocking footage of Putin's troops firing at unarmed Ukrainians

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President Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed a tidal wave of support over recent weeks, with world leaders and their constituents pledging their allegiance. The most powerful leaders, among them US President Joe Biden, have responded with unequivocal condemnation and a host of sanctions for the Putin regime. Among the voices loudly proffering allegiance are a few who previously had close links with Mr Putin.

Viktor Orban

West of Ukraine but in Central Europe, Mr Putin once had an ally in Hungarian President Viktor Orban.

The nationalist premier formerly fostered close ties with his Russian counterpart, particularly political and economic.

As Russia built a troop presence on Ukraine’s border, he was among the few leaders not offering condemnation.

But he eventually fell into line with the rest of the EU, of which Hungary is a controversial member, condemning the invasion the day Mr Putin crossed the border.

Marine Le Pen

Another leader who has recently taken to scrubbing evidence of their ties with Mr Putin is Marine Le Pen.

The French presidential hopeful and far-right leader boasted about meeting him in a pamphlet designed to curry favour amongst voters.

The image was likely designed to highlight her international status but instead invited pressure on her campaign to distance itself from Russia.

She, like Mr Orban, has criticised the invasion, although the pamphlet still circulates while her Rassemblement National (RN) party declines to back-pedal.

Donald Trump

While he has condemned the invasion, Donald Trump was amongst the few world leaders openly admiring Mr Putin.

In the days following his incursion in Ukraine, Mr Trump called him a “genius” and “savvy” in a radio interview.

He reserved his harsher words for the Biden administration, which he claimed allowed the Russian leader to “get away with this travesty and assault on humanity”.

Mr Trump added: “Putin is playing Biden like a drum and, it’s not a pretty thing to watch.”

Nigel Farage

During Mr Putin’s 2014 Crimean incursion of 2014, Nigel Farage said he “admired” the Russian President.

Speaking to GQ just one month after the shocking annexation, which earned a separate round of sanctions, made a stunning claim.

Mr Farage said he admired Mr Putin “as an operator, but not as a human being”.

He added it was “brilliant” how he “played the whole Syria thing”, but has recently warned “the end is coming” for him.

Speaking at CPAC in the US this year, his rhetoric followed the example set by Mr Trump.

In a speech to conference attendees, he said he had “no doubt” Mr Putin would not have invaded if “Donald Trump had still been president”.

He also reserved some criticism for NATO, as it led the unified effort against Russia.

Mr Farage said: “We have made mistakes, we have got things wrong, we have not been honest about much of our dealings with Ukraine and Russia. But we are where we are.”

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