Fury as Nigel Farage blames the West for Ukraine war: Incredible moment Reform leader tells BBC that NATO and EU 'provoked Vladimir Putin's invasion' with 'eastward expansion'- and admits he admires Russian president

Nigel Farage faced fury contiguous arsenic helium suggested the West was to blasted for Russia invading Ukraine.

The Reform UK person made the bonzer assertion that NATO and the EU 'provoked' Vladimir Putin successful an interrogation for the BBC's Panorama election specials.

Grilled by presenter Nick Robinson, Mr Farage insisted the eastward 'expansion' of the Western confederation and governmental bloc had 'given a reason' for the Russian president to attack.  

Mr Farage besides spoke of his 'admiration' for Putin arsenic a 'political relation - portion blustering that helium was not 'echoing' his propaganda and stressing that helium 'disliked him arsenic a person'.

The melodramatic involution was condemned by elder subject figures, who accused the ex-MEP of 'playing straight into Putin's hands'. Former defence caput Ben Wallace said helium was voicing 'sympathy' for a dictator who 'deployed nervus agents connected the streets of Britain'. 

The stance creates a wide disagreement betwixt Mr Farage's enactment and the Tories over the struggle and however to grip the rising menace from states similar Russia and China.

Rishi Sunak - who is scrambling to halt the insurgents splitting the right-wing ballot connected July 4 and gifting Keir Starmer the keys to No10 - recently helped negociate a caller £39billion planetary bundle boosting Ukraine's efforts to antagonistic Russian aggression.

Boris Johnson and Liz Truss besides staunchly supported Volodymyr Zelensky with weaponry and different aid.

Mr Farage claimed earlier this period that Ukraine volition yet person to question a bid woody with Russia - but his latest comments connected Panorama, being broadcast successful afloat astatine 7pm this evening, spell further.

In the Panorama interview, Mr Farage was challenged by Robinson that successful February 2022, arsenic the latest aggravated signifier of the penetration began, helium posted connected societal media that 'it was a effect of EU and NATO expansion'.

Mr Farage replied: 'I stood up successful the European Parliament successful 2014 and I said, and I quote, ''there volition beryllium a warfare successful Ukraine''. 

'Why did I accidental that? it was evident to maine that the ever-eastward enlargement of NATO and the European Union was giving this antheral a crushed to his Russian radical to say, ''They're coming for america again'', and to spell to war.'

Pressed connected whether helium stood by that assessment, Mr Farage said 'we provoked this war'. 

'It's – you know, of people it's his fault, he's utilized what we've done arsenic an excuse,' helium said.

Braced again connected whether helium believed the West had 'provoked' the invasion, Mr Farage said: 'Yes, and precise interestingly, erstwhile again, 10 years agone erstwhile I predicted this – by the way, I'm the lone idiosyncratic successful British authorities that predicted what would hap - and of people everyone said I was a pariah for daring to suggest it.'

He added: 'My judgement has been mode up of everybody else's successful knowing this.'

Mr Farage denied that helium was 'echoing' Putin's rhetoric astir Russia being threatened by the West, claiming helium had 'been saying this really since the 1990s, ever since, earlier the war'. 

Former Army quality serviceman Colonel Philip Ingram branded Mr Farage a information to UK security.

Mr Ingram, a respected commentator connected the struggle successful Ukraine, told the Mail: 'The West successful nary mode provoked Russia into attacking Ukraine and suggesting truthful plays straight into Putin's hands.

'Putin volition beryllium smiling to himself seeing his enactment being done. Farage is simply a convenient mouthpiece for disinformation and a information to our information with views similar that.

'Farage's comments marque the satellite a much unsafe spot arsenic they springiness succour to Putin. We indispensable robustly support sovereign nations.'

Mr Wallace told the Mail that Mr Farage had, erstwhile again, revealed his inclination to align with Russian interests.

He said: ‘Farage perpetually lectures everyone astir soveriegnty but is blessed to placate a dictator.

‘He excessively often shows an unhealty narration with the Kremlin’s talking points.

‘Farage refuses to spot Putin for what helium is. How tin Farage explicit sympathy oregon admiration for a antheral who deployed nervus agents connected the streets of Britain?

‘He is much Chamberlain than Churchill.’

Speaking arsenic Reform outlined its defence plans earlier this month, helium said negotiations with the Kremlin – which could pb to the partitioning of Ukraine – were inevitable.

Asked if Reform backed the thought of continuing to money Ukraine's efforts, Mr Farage said: 'We would spell connected ­sending wealth to them but I deliberation some sides request to beryllium told that astatine immoderate constituent wars either extremity successful dialog oregon catastrophe, and this 1 looks similar going connected for many, many, galore years – and astatine an horrendous outgo of life.

'At immoderate constituent determination person to beryllium face-to-face talks.

'I'm not suggesting that it'll hap quickly, but astatine immoderate constituent that's what we'd similar to see.'

Pressed connected whether that would mean Ukraine having to springiness up land, helium appeared not to regularisation it out, adding: 'The pugnacious dialog has to beryllium implicit Crimea. That is intelligibly going to beryllium precise tough.'

Mr Farage predicted that if Donald Trump was re-elected US president this twelvemonth past Ukraine premier Volodymyr Zelensky could soon beryllium forced astir the array with Vladimir Putin.

The Panorama Interviews with Nick Robinson is connected BBC One astatine 7pm and BBC iPlayer.