Criticism of Nigel Farage is growing this morning after he was accused of “echoing Putin” on Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The Leader of Reform UK last night said that the West has “provoked this war” as he blamed Nato and EU expansion for Putin’s invasion.
“I said I disliked him as a person, but I admired him as a political operator because he’s managed to take control of running Russia,” he told the BBC when quizzed on his past opinions of the Russia President.
He added: “It was obvious to me that the ever-eastward expansion of Nato and the European Union was giving this man a reason to his Russian people to say, ‘they’re coming for us again’ and to go to war.”
His remarks have sparked a backlash from politicians in other parties, with Home Secretary James Cleverly reacting: “Just Farage echoing Putin’s vile justification for the brutal invasion of Ukraine.”
Labour shadow defence secretary John Healy said the Reform UK leader would “rather lick Vladimir Putin’s boots than stand up for the people of Ukraine”.
Former defence minister Tobias Ellwood added: “Churchill will be turning in his grave.
“Putin, already enjoying how Farage is disrupting British politics, will be delighted to hear this talk of appeasement during our election debate.”
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More Tories slam Nigel Farage’s comments
Conservatives have seized upon Nigel Farage’s remarks about Ukraine to lambast the Reform UK leader.
Amid numerous polls pointing to Reform overtaking the Tories in voting intention, high profile candidates and former ministers have taken to social media to criticise his comments.
Former defence secretary Sir Liam Fox said: “The West did not ‘provoke this war’ in Ukraine and it is shocking that Nigel Farage should say so.
“Sovereign nations have a right to defend themselves and organise their security in a way that they choose and not be dictated to or bullied by Putin’s brutal state.”
Alicia Kearns added: “Farage’s historical revisionism is an insult to all Ukrainian soldiers, and innocent men, women and children murdered by the Putin regime.
“It’s not a war, it’s a renewed illegal invasion. Ukraine and the West did nothing to provoke the autocrat and mass-murderer Putin.”
Source Agencies
