As we approach a new parliamentary election, the big headlines on the newsstands rarely concern key political issues. Instead, the media often focus on the hunt for so-called Russian connections and playing the ‘Putin card’ against opponents—now that the ‘xenophobic’ card alone is no longer enough to stop voters from supporting anti-establishment and anti-immigration actors. The most exaggerated version comes from Expressen’s David Baas, who frames a childish argument about “who talks to whom” by linking three Sweden Democrats (SD) MPs’ visit to the British party Reform UK in London to furthering Kremlin’s interests. At the same time, Expressen fails to mention that the Social Democrats (S) also met with the party. S took the chance to attack SD during the media storm but completely ignores that their own MPs also met with the same party.

In mid-February, three Members of Parliament from the Sweden Democrats—Tobias Andersson, Dennis Dioukarev, and Pontus Andersson Garpvall—visited London to meet the British party Reform UK, led by Brexit figure Nigel Farage.

READ ALSO: Expressen attacks Zlatan after Berlusconi photo: “Good friend of Putin”

Expressen’s SD-hunter David Baas has blown the meeting up in a major article, connecting it to Russia—even though it took place in London with British parliamentarians. According to the paper, the fact that Swedish politicians are conversing with British elected colleagues somehow implies closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Russian connections”: Interviewed by RT – just like S politicians

David Baas highlights this in Expressen by connecting politicians in Reform UK—a party founded in 2018—to things their predecessors said and did as early as 2007, as well as to interviews in which party leader Nigel Farage participated on Russian state TV channel Russia Today (RT) during 2016-2017 when he led anti-immigration party UKIP.

But participating in an RT interview is something even Prime Minister Stefan Löfven (S) did during a similar timeframe.

Notably, Löfven’s participation on Putin’s international TV channel also took place after Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

Another S top politician, Jytte Guteland—former chairman of SSU, later MEP, now MP—was also interviewed by RT, likewise after the annexation of Crimea.

Expressen journalist David Baas has not bothered to contact these politicians for comment on why they agreed to be interviewed.

Former politician and Nigel Farage described as “pro-Russian”

Trying to bolster the insinuation that SD has Russian links through the London meeting, Expressen names former Reform UK politician Nathan Gill. Gill was sentenced to prison for accepting bribes from pro-Russian interests in cooperation with former Ukrainian MP Oleg Voloshyn, according to the BBC.

Voloshyn previously worked as a journalist and was a government official under then-president Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine. Nathan Gill, formerly Reform UK leader in Wales, was in 2025 sentenced to ten and a half years in prison after receiving around half a million kronor to organize events and advocate issues in the European Parliament when he represented UKIP and the Brexit Party between 2014 and 2020, according to the BBC and Sky News.

However, this concerns a former politician, and none of the SD MPs met him during their meeting in London as he is imprisoned. Reform UK has also strongly distanced itself from Gill’s actions. Nigel Farage called them shameful activities.

READ ALSO: Sven Hirdman on Expressen’s Russia accusations: “Don’t want to mess around with such nonsense”

The anti-immigration party in the UK visited by Swedish MPs has, over recent years, become a significant force in British politics. In several opinion polls, Reform UK has overtaken both Labour and the Conservatives nationally, with support levels at or above 30 percent, making it one of the largest parties in the UK.

READ MORE: Nigel Farage’s party now largest

According to David Baas and the left-liberal Expressen, shining light on the war in Ukraine from multiple perspectives is not permitted, even though the conflict involves two parties. In practice, Baas acts as judge in his article over what is acceptable to say regarding geopolitical conflicts and their various consequences.

He claims Brexit figure Nigel Farage is “pro-Russian” because in some contexts he has spoken positively about Vladimir Putin and in others critically. Baas also points out that Farage is accused of being Putin’s puppet spreading Kremlin talking points—just because he holds views outside the mainstream corridor.

The same year, Farage blamed the West by saying that NATO and the EU had provoked Russia’s invasion by expanding eastwards—which was also a central Kremlin talking point justifying the war against Ukraine.

David Baas describing Nigel Farage in Expressen’s SD article.

Also because Farage has opposed sending British troops to Ukraine, something Russia has explicitly warned would be unacceptable and could spark a new, larger war.

In January, Farage was again accused of acting as Putin’s puppet. The Reform UK leader had at that time opposed the idea of British troops joining a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine after a peace agreement was signed.

David Baas describing Nigel Farage in Expressen’s SD article.

See how Nigel Farage’s pro-Russian statements emerged in a BBC Radio interview:

The Reform UK politicians the SD MPs actually met, according to David Baas, had criticized the EU for refusing to recognize the referendum in Crimea after Russia’s 2014 annexation. Moreover, one politician, Nathan Nuttall, reportedly visited Crimea when he was leader of the anti-immigration party UKIP.

The other Reform UK politician whom SD members met in London, Andrew Rosindell—who recently switched from the Conservatives (Tories) to Reform UK—is said to have supported a motion in the British parliament in 2007 calling for Britain to consider Russia as an ally and strengthen diplomatic ties. He has also been noted for his involvement in a conservative network that fostered contacts with Russia.

READ ALSO: The world is upside down when former Expressen chief pretends to defend freedom of expression

Meanwhile, Baas is forced to include a caveat in his article, noting that Andrew Rosindell has also condemned the war, expressed support for Ukraine, and placed all blame on Putin—clearly in line with Reform UK’s official position.

Andersson’s response: “Then we simply have different views”

Tobias Andersson (SD), who attended the meetings with Reform UK, pointed out in a comment to Expressen that the talks in Britain did not touch on Russia or Ukraine. He also emphasized to the left-liberal newspaper that politicians do not have to agree on all issues to be able to meet and exchange views.

– When you have a meeting with someone duly elected to the British parliament, it isn’t conditional on agreeing with everything that person has ever said or done, Andersson said to Expressen.

READ ALSO: Police with Russian background – Expressen forced out – no action from JO

Andersson was also asked how he views the fact that Reform UK and Nigel Farage’s previous parties have ‘distinguished themselves in this way’ repeatedly.

– I haven’t followed how they’ve distinguished themselves in these ways, so it’s hard for me to comment. If they have a different view on the issue, based on what you describe, then we simply have different opinions, Andersson answered.

Sweden Democrat MP Dennis Dioukarev, who also participated in the trip, calls David Baas’s far-fetched article “nonsense” on social media and claims Baas himself knows it.

According to Dioukarev, it’s important to distinguish between talking to political colleagues and sharing the same political stance.

“This may not be at the top of the priority list” were David Baas’s final words to me during the interview. This is nonsense with zero news value and Baas knows it. https://t.co/9yLsSHU1jz

— Dennis Dioukarev (@DennisDioukarev) March 12, 2026

The third participating MP, Pontus Andersson Garpvall (SD), wrote in a comment to Expressen that he does not intend to comment on another party’s political opinions on the matter.

Social Democrats: “Dangerously close to Kremlin’s interests”

The Sweden Democrats’ press department has made it clear to Expressen that the meeting did not touch on Russia or Ukraine.

Expressen has meanwhile followed up its first article with another to add weight to the alleged connections in the daily media noise. For this, David Baas called in S party secretary Tobias Baudin, who is allowed to comment on the MPs’ visit to the UK.

READ ALSO: S in government: “Putin prices” – S in opposition: “Tidö prices”

Baudin claims that it is “a serious matter” to engage in dialogue with a popular British party led by Nigel Farage. According to him, this is “a pattern” indicating that SD is now getting closer to the Kremlin.

Baudin pushes the issue toward the election, speculating about what happens if the Tidö parties continue governing after the next election.

– This is not an isolated incident. This is a pattern where we see Sweden Democrats repeatedly finding themselves in contexts that are dangerously close to the Kremlin’s interests—especially as Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine continues.

– So what is the way forward for Sweden? What kinds of cooperation will we see? This is of course very serious, he says.

Former interior minister and S top Anders Ygeman also criticizes SD for the meeting with elected representatives in the UK. He writes that “there are no Russian connections” and ends by mentioning party leader Jimmie Åkesson.

READ ALSO: Ygeman, here are the Social Democrats’ Russian ties

Ygeman himself had to resign after the Transport Agency’s IT scandal, where secret information about Swedish security systems was leaked to foreign companies following outsourcing decisions during his time as minister—a security threat that led to harsh criticism for lack of control and accountability.

“There are no Russian connections”
Jimmie Åkesson https://t.co/WnCs5Ls3wc

— Anders Ygeman (@Ygeman) March 12, 2026

S politicians met Reform UK

What both Expressen journalist David Baas—who often criticizes SD—and the Social Democrat high command seem to overlook, is that Social Democrats themselves have held what could be described as “Putin meetings” with representatives of the British party Reform UK.

In parliamentary documents dated December 19, 2025, only a few months ago, it is stated that several S MPs participated in a meeting with Sarah Pochin, a representative of Reform UK, during the Foreign Affairs Committee’s delegation trip to London.

READ ALSO: Expressen: Russian military wiped out – now forced to use camels and donkeys

At the meeting, Sarah Pochin underlined to the parliamentary delegation that “the party supports Ukraine and wishes to increase defense spending.”

SD top: “Is there no MSM journalist who’ll confront the hypocrisy?”

SD top Mattias Karlsson has commented on the actions against the party in a long social media post where he systematically details what he sees as hypocrisy in the attacks on SD.

He points out how the Social Democrats, together with establishment media, choose to ignore these facts while intensifying criticism of SD in both articles and social media.

READ ALSO: ‘Death Patrol’s’ Mehdi ‘Dumle’ Sachit glorified in Expressen – gang-raped girl bloody at gunpoint

Karlsson’s post ends with questions about why the alleged Social Democrat hypocrisy is not questioned by journalists, and what this means for both the party’s and the media’s responsibility and credibility.

Read the full post:

Attempt at an overview of the incredibly odd campaign about three SD MPs’ meeting with the UK’s currently largest party:

1. David Baas at Expressen paints a picture that Reform UK is clearly pro-Russian (A picture Reform itself strongly disputes and which—even if the party’s Ukraine policy has historically left much to be desired—actually clashes with the fact that party leader Nigel Farage as late as last year expressed support for Ukrainian NATO membership (Source: Politico 13/2), stated Russian planes violating NATO airspace should be shot down, and frozen Russian assets in Europe should be seized for Ukraine (Source: BBC 17/10)).

2. David Baas uses the well-known propaganda technique “guilt by association” to, based on the image he himself painted of Reform UK, try to present SD as a suspected pro-Russian party since three SD MPs recently met with representatives of Reform UK on an official trip to the UK.

3. I show on social media that the entire parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee as recently as December 2025 approved meetings with Reform UK, and that both government party representatives and high-ranking Social Democrats met Reform UK during that committee’s study trip.

My account is officially confirmed by the Foreign Affairs Committee’s travel report available on parliament’s website. (This report also states that in the meeting, Reform expressed sympathy for Ukraine, aversion to Russian aggression, and support for strengthened defense cooperation between the UK, Sweden, and EU.)

4. Both David Baas and the Social Democrats completely ignore my information and instead dig even deeper into the pre-set narrative that just SD met a supposedly pro-Russian party in the UK and are therefore themselves blameworthy and suspected of being pro-Russian.

A second article on the matter is thus published by Expressen where Baas repeats his narrative and where S party secretary Tobias Baudin is allowed to go on the attack against SD unhindered. According to Baudin, meetings with Reform UK are very serious and equivalent to “being in contexts dangerously close to Kremlin’s interests.”

Baudin then says, among other things, SD members’ meeting with Reform UK makes the party unfit for government responsibility—especially the foreign minister post. “So what is the way forward for Sweden? What kinds of cooperation will then take place? This is, of course, very serious*” (*The meeting with Reform. My remark) Baudin concludes.

At the very end of the article, SD’s press department is allowed to, in just two lines, state that Social Democratic representatives also recently met with Reform. Baas and Expressen, however, ask Baudin no critical questions about this.

5. The Social Democrats fire up their propaganda machine on social media. Numerous S MPs share the first Expressen article and direct harsh accusations at SD due to the meeting with Reform UK.

Anders Ygeman accuses SD of having “Russian connections” and implies Åkesson lied when he previously said SD had none.

MP Matilda Ernkrans (S) suggests SD loves Putin and writes she “gets a stomachache” and that the SD MPs’ meeting with Reform is “plain dangerous” for Sweden’s security.

Former MP Hillevi Larsson (S) writes that “Putin friends thrive in SD!”

MP Åsa Westerlund (S) writes the SD MPs’ meeting shows SD has “close contacts with Russian and pro-Russian interests” and that this “does not happen with any other party” (sic!).

Annika Strandhäll, herself sitting on the Foreign Affairs Committee and who should have known about the committee’s plans to meet Reform and should have spoken with S colleagues about their meeting, shares a tweet from Baudin saying meetings with Reform are “extremely serious” and reason to disqualify a party from taking charge of foreign affairs.

The committee’s vice chair, Morgan Johansson, who was aware of and approved the committee’s meeting with Reform UK and who surely discussed it with S colleagues, also shares a tweet accusing SD of being blameworthy for “building ties” with a party “serving Kremlin’s agenda.”

The above undoubtedly raises many questions. One is whether the Social Democrats will now disqualify all their committee members who approved meetings with Reform or participated in such meetings, from future responsibility over foreign policy?

The perhaps most important question is whether there is really not a single honest journalist in mainstream media willing to confront the Social Democrats with this outrageous hypocrisy?

– Mattias Karlsson (SD) on Facebook

READ ALSO: Expressen massively reported after hate article against Russian speakers: “Fantasizing about kicking sand in their French fries”