• Nathan Gill sentenced to 10 years and 6 months for accepting bribes to promote pro-Russia statements.
• The case involves financial dealings with Ukrainian politician Oleg Voloshyn.
• Judge condemned Gill for undermining the integrity of the European Parliament.

Nathan Gill, a former UK politician and leader of the Reform UK party in Wales, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for accepting bribes to make pro-Russia statements in the European Parliament. Gill, 52, pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery committed between December 2018 and July 2019, reportedly receiving **at least £40,000** (approximately US$53,000) from Ukrainian politician Oleg Voloshyn, who is linked to pro-Russian interests. The range of his duties included providing scripted statements and participating in television appearances dictated by Voloshyn, which further compromised his integrity as a public official, according to the judgment delivered by Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb at London's Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey, on November 21, 2025, according to SCMP, Al Jazeera, and Le Monde.

During sentencing, Judge Cheema-Grubb stated that Gill "abused a position of significant authority and trust," explaining that his actions "fundamentally compromised the integrity of a supranational legislative body." Prosecutors detailed that Gill's conduct involved collaborating with foreign nationals to issue statements on pivotal international matters, manipulating scripted material as his own, and coordinating involvement from other Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). This conduct underlined a serious violation of ethical obligations expected from elected officials, according to SCMP, Al Jazeera, and Le Monde.

Gill’s illicit activities came to light when he was stopped at Manchester Airport in September 2021 while attempting to travel to Russia, leading to an investigation that uncovered messages indicating financial arrangements with Voloshyn. The court noted that these communications hinted at orchestrating the support of additional MEPs for pro-Russian interests, illustrating a significant breach of trust. Security minister Dan Jarvis emphasized that Gill's actions were a "betrayal of our country and our national security," highlighting the broader implications of such corruption within politics, according to SCMP, Al Jazeera, and Le Monde.