Nigel FarageThe claim that the West provoked Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is “completely wrong and only plays into it.” Putin‘s hands’, Rishi Sunak has said.
The prime minister accused Britain’s reform leader of “appeasement” that was “dangerous to British security”.
In a BBC Panorama interview said Farage said the war was “of course” President Vladimir Putin’s fault, but that the expansion of the EU and NATO had given him a reason to tell the Russian people “they are coming for us again.”
The comments have also led to criticism from other parties. The Lord of Labour Keir Starmer described them as “disgraceful”, while Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said he did not share any values with Mr Farage.
Mr Sunak said during an election campaign visit to London: “What he (Mr Farage) said was completely wrong and only plays into Putin’s hands.”
He added: “This is a man (Mr Putin) who has deployed nerve agents on the streets of Britain, who is making deals with countries like North Korea, and this kind of appeasement is dangerous for British security, of our allies who depend on us, and only encourages Putin further.”
Sir Keir, meanwhile, said Putin “bears sole responsibility” for the invasion of Ukraine and that “anyone who wants to be a representative in our Parliament must be very clear… that we oppose that aggression.”
In his Panorama interview, the former UKIP and Brexit Party leader was asked by Nick Robinson about his previous comments about Mr Putin.
“I said I hated him as a person, but I admired him as a political actor because he managed to take control of Russia’s government,” he replied.
He said it had been “clear” to him for years “that the ever-eastern expansion of NATO and the European Union gave this man a reason to say to his Russian people, ‘They are coming after us again’ and go to war.” “.
He added further: ‘We provoked this war. Of course it’s his fault – he used what we did as an excuse.’
After the interview, which aired on Friday, Mr Farage, a former member of the European Parliament, said on X that he was “one of the few figures who was consistent and honest about the war with Russia”.
Alongside the new statement, he posted a 2014 speech in the European Parliament in which he called on the West to “stop playing war games with Putin.”
Labour’s shadow defense secretary, John Healey, said the comments made the Reform UK leader ‘unfit for any political office in our country, let alone leading a serious party in parliament’.
The Ukrainian presidency told the BBC it will not make an official statement on Farage’s comments.
But a source in the presidential office warned of the “virus of Putinism and the rise of war propaganda,” adding: “The task of civilized humanity is to fight this virus in its bud.”
Reform UK has gained ground against the Conservatives in the polls since Farage announced he was returning to the frontline of politics as leader of the party shortly after the general election campaign got underway.
He has said his aim is for the reforms to replace the Conservatives as the official opposition to Labour, which he believes is certain to come to power on July 4, although opinion polls show the party may only win a handful of votes in these elections. will win seats.
