The head of a leading British far-right group spoke at a summit of European extreme nationalist groups convened in Russia by an influential oligarch linked to Vladimir Putin, it can be revealed. The event in St Petersburg was addressed by Mark Collett, a longstanding far-right activist and founder of Patriotic Alternative, which attempted to exploit the summer of unrest outside asylum hotels in Britain. There have been calls for a ban on Patriotic Alternative, regarded as the UK’s largest far-right group, albeit one that has faced challenges from newer rivals. He confirmed to the Guardian that he had attended the Russian event, as an online participant. He believed the conflict in Ukraine was “stoked” by the previous US government because it desired a proxy war with Russia.

Source: The Guardian January 04, 2026 16:12 UTC