Nigel Farage is blasted for 'echoing Putin's vile justification' for Ukraine conflict: Critic says 'every vote for Farage is celebrated in Moscow' after Reform leader's comment that 'we provoked this war'

Nigel Farage has been blasted for 'echoing Putin's vile justification' for the Ukraine struggle aft helium suggested the West was to blasted for Russia's invasion. 

Critics person said 'every ballot for Farage volition beryllium celebrated successful Moscow' aft helium claimed 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.

The Reform UK person besides spoke of his 'admiration' for Putin arsenic a 'political operator' but insisted helium disliked the Russian person arsenic a person. 

Home Secretary James Cleverly accused Mr Farage, however, of 'echoing Putin's vile justification for the brutal invasion of Ukraine'.

He was besides criticised by Guy Verhofstadt, a salient Belgian MEP, who said Farage was repeating 'Kremlin talking points'. 

'In the European Parliament, Farage ever defended Putin', helium said.

'Every ballot for Farage is celebrated successful Moscow!'

Mr Farage, however, doubled down connected his comments past nighttime arsenic helium posted connected X: 'I americium 1 of the fewer figures that person been accordant and honorable astir the warfare with Russia.

'Putin was incorrect to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was incorrect to grow eastward. 

'The sooner we realise this, the person we volition beryllium to ending the warfare and delivering peace.' 

The enactment comes arsenic President Volodymyr Zelensky said past nighttime that his state had marked 'a important milestone' connected their way toward EU rank arsenic a negotiating model was approved. 

Zelensky said: 'These are genuinely historical moments. Ukraine is and volition ever beryllium portion of a agreed Europe.'

Former Nato Secretary General Lord Robertson further criticised the Reform UK person for 'parroting the Kremlin Line' and 'producing caller excuses for the brutal, unprovoked attack'.

Mr Farage claimed during the interrogation that Lord Robertson had agreed the Ukrainian struggle was caused by the enlargement of the EU.

But speaking to BBC Radio 4, the Labour adjacent refuted Mr Farage's comments, describing them as 'complete nonsense'.

'Saying that we provoked Russia is similar saying that if you bargain a burglar alarm, successful immoderate mode you provoke burglars', Lord Robertson said. 

Retired British Army Officer Richard Kemp said that Farage's investigation of the origin of the Ukrainian struggle could 'hardly beryllium much wrong'. 

He wrote successful the Telegraph: 'He claims that Nato and EU enlargement was provocative. 

'In information it was Western weakness and timidity that encouraged Putin’s aggression successful 2022.' 

Mr Kemp added that Farage's comments had conscionable proven that helium is 'not a superior leader'.

Labour shadiness defence caput John Healy said Mr Farage would 'rather lick Vladimir Putin's boots than basal up for the radical of Ukraine' and added: 'These are disgraceful comments, which uncover the existent look of Nigel Farage: a Putin apologist who should ne'er beryllium trusted with our nation's security.

'Up until now, determination has been a agreed beforehand amongst Britain's governmental leaders successful supporting the radical of Ukraine against the unprovoked and unjustifiable battle they person suffered astatine the hands of Vladimir Putin.'

Former defence curate Tobias Ellwood told the Daily Telegraph: 'Churchill volition beryllium turning successful his grave.

'Putin, already enjoying however Farage is disrupting British politics, volition beryllium delighted to perceive this speech of appeasement during our predetermination debate.'

Mr Farage's comments bespeak a wide disagreement betwixt Reform and the Tories implicit the Ukrainian 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 - precocious 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 comments connected Panorama past nighttime 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'.

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 Interview with Nick Robinson is disposable connected BBC iPlayer