Nigel Farage has reiterated his claim that the west provoked Russia's invasion of Ukraine, refusing to apologise despite widespread condemnation. The Reform UK leader wrote in The Telegraph that he is not an 'apologist or supporter of Putin' and insisted he was 'telling the truth' about the role of Nato and EU expansion in the conflict.
Farage's comments, made on BBC's Panorama programme, drew sharp criticism from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer. Sunak said the remarks 'play into Putin's hands', while Starmer described them as 'disgraceful'. Home Secretary James Cleverly accused Farage of echoing 'Putin's vile justification for the brutal invasion of Ukraine'.
Former defence secretary Ben Wallace labelled Farage a 'pub bore' who offers simplistic answers to complex problems. He questioned what Farage's solution would be to dealing with President Putin, a man involved in the murder of British citizen Dawn Sturgess with a nerve agent in Salisbury.
Farage defended his position, stating he had warned a decade ago that western actions would give Putin an excuse to invade. He maintained that his criticism of the west does not equate to support for Putin, calling the invasion 'immoral, outrageous and indefensible'.
