Farage says West 'provoked' Russia's invasion of Ukraine with EU and NATO expansions

In a recent statement, Nigel Farage once again pointed the finger at the West and NATO for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He also admitted to praising Vladimir Putin as a skilled leader in the past.

In a conversation with the BBC, the leader of Reform UK was questioned about his previous statements regarding Russia and Ukraine.

When questioned about the Russian invasion in 2022, Mr. Farage explained to Nick Robinson that he had been predicting a conflict in Ukraine for years. He attributed this to the continuous expansion of both NATO and the European Union towards the east.

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He mentioned that this situation was providing Mr. Putin with justification to inform the Russian populace that "they are once more targeting us" and incite conflict.

The Reform leader stated that he believed the conflict was instigated by the West, but he also made it clear that he believed it was ultimately the fault of the Russian president.

Earlier remarks made by Mr. Farage about Mr. Putin were also brought up to him.

They questioned him about remarks he made back in 2014, praising Mr. Putin as the leader he respected the most.

Mr. Farage expressed his disapproval of the Russian leader but also mentioned that he respected him as a skilled political strategist for successfully governing the country.

"This is just gibberish, you know? You can choose any individual, from the present or the past, and ask yourself, did they have positive traits?" he continued.

"If you acknowledge their exceptional skill in a particular field, you immediately become their staunchest advocate."

Republican candidates - who may be sensing the rise of a Reform movement in the polls - were fast to criticize the Reform leader.

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Home Secretary James Cleverly stated that Mr. Farage was repeating Putin's horrible reasoning for the violent invasion of Ukraine.

The Vice Chair of the Conservative Party, Jonathan Gullis, said that Putin should not be looked up to or respected. He mentioned that Putin used chemical weapons in our country to kill people, putting more innocent British lives at risk.

John Healey, the opposition spokesperson for defence, expressed his strong disapproval of Nigel Farage's comments, calling them shameful and showing his support for Vladimir Putin. He stated that these comments expose the true nature of Nigel Farage and emphasized that he should not be relied upon to protect our country's security.

So far, all of Britain's political leaders have been standing together in backing the people of Ukraine against the unexpected and unwarranted attack they have faced from Vladimir Putin.

"Nigel Farage has taken a stance that is not in line with the unity of the country, and has demonstrated that he prioritizes pleasing Vladimir Putin over supporting the people of Ukraine. This disqualifies him from holding any political position in our nation, especially as the leader of a significant party in parliament."

Explore further: Political parties collect £5.8 million in just one weekWhat is the background of Reform UK?Are the numbers presented in Reform UK's policy document accurate?

During the interview, Mr. Farage was questioned about Brexit and its effects on the United Kingdom.

He was questioned about his past remarks where he stated that Brexit was not successful.

The ex UKIP leader stated that this is how "the Conservatives have handled the situation".

"If they had chosen me to lead, things would have been significantly changed," he stated, "but that didn't happen, did it?"

In his party's stance on climate change, Mr Farage expressed his desire to focus on nuclear energy and eliminate the current net zero initiative.

He denied being "arguing the science" of climate change, but believes that we are focusing too much on the issue rather than coming up with practical solutions.

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Mr. Farage stated that Prince Charles, who is now King, made an "unintelligent remark" when he claimed that carbon dioxide was a harmful pollutant.

The leader of the Reform party went on to explain that, due to deindustrialization, carbon dioxide emissions have been outsourced to countries like India, resulting in the relocation of emissions rather than a reduction.