Reform Britain's Nigel Farage defends the claim that the West has provoked a war in Ukraine

LONDON – Populist British politician Nigel Farage has doubled down on claims that the West provoked Russia's war in Ukraine, despite a backlash from Westminster in the crucial final weeks of Britain's election campaign.

Writing in the Telegraph newspaper On Saturday, Britain's reform leader and Brexit figurehead said Russian President Vladimir Putin's large-scale invasion of 2022 was “immoral” but added that “if you poke the Russian bear with a stick, don't be surprised.” when he responds.”

He defended comments made Friday in a BBC interviewin which he said the eastern expansion of NATO and the European Union had given Putin a pretext to tell the Russians “they're coming after us again” and go to war.

“We provoked this war. Of course it's his fault. He used what we did,” Farage said on Friday.

Clarifying his comments on Saturday, Farage said he was not and never has been an “apologist or supporter of Putin”, but claimed he “saw the war coming” and that the West has “played into Putin's hands”.

“As I have made clear several times since, if you poke the Russian bear with a stick, don't be surprised if he responds. And if you have neither the resources nor the political will to take him on, poking a bear is clearly not good foreign policy.”

He remembered it too comments to the European Parliament in 2014 – shortly after Russia's annexation of Crimea – in which he questioned NATO's military exercises in Ukraine.

“Do we actually want a war with Putin? Because if we do that, we will definitely do it the right way,” he said at the time.

Farage's comments echo those of close friend and ally, former President Donald Trump, who on an episode of the “All In” podcast last week reiterated his position that NATO's military expansion was “provocative” for Russia, and that the war would not have happened under his leadership.

Reform UK is rapidly gaining popularity Farage's return as leader last month, ahead of Britain's July 4 election. The right-wing party has 18% of the vote, just behind the 20% of the incumbent Conservatives. according to YouGov polls conducted before Farage's comments. Labor is seen with a huge lead of 36%.

However, the defiant politician's comments drew strong criticism from leaders on both sides of the political spectrum.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday convicted The comments are described as “completely wrong”, adding that this position also “plays into Putin's hands”.

“This kind of appeasement is dangerous for British security and for the security of our allies who rely on us, and only emboldens Putin further,” he told reporters.

Labor leader Keir Starmer called the comments “disgraceful” and said Putin bears “full responsibility” for the invasion.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson also dismissed the comments as “sickening ahistorical drivel” and “Kremlin propaganda.” message on X.

Political commentator Timothy Ash, meanwhile, discredited Farage's claim that NATO's Ukrainian presence had provoked Moscow in 2014, noting that support for Kyiv's membership of the military alliance was “very low” at the time.

“Ukraine would not join NATO in 2014 or 2022, and Moscow knew this. Putin just wanted to create a PR excuse to invade, and Farage is playing into Putin's narrative, a tool for Putin,” says Ash. associate fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at Chatham House, told CNBC via email Monday.

“Putin invaded Ukraine not because of the expansion of the EU or NATO, but because of a policy of Russian expansion – Greater Russia, and Putin's obsession with recreating the USSR, when he declared long ago that the collapse of the USSR biggest mistake of the 20th century. This was all about Russian colonial ambition and expansion,” he added.

In a video post on X On Saturday, Britain's Ministry of Defense said NATO had previously made “significant efforts” to establish a strategic relationship with Russia, including on counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics initiatives.