West provoked Russia into Ukraine war, insists Farage

Nigel Farage has said the EU and Nato provoked the invasion of Ukraine by Russia by expanding eastwards. Speaking to BBC's Panorama last night, Mr Farage said the expansion of the European Union and Nato eastwards gave Vladimir Putin a reason to tell the Russian people “they’re coming for us again”.

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He was also challenged on his stated admiration for Mr Putin. He told Nick Robinson that he disliked the Russian president personally but “admired him as a political operator” because of the extent of his control over Russia.

Mr Farage, a former member of the European parliament, added: “Right, I’ll tell you what you don’t know, I stood up in the European parliament in 2014 and I said, and I quote, ‘there will be a war in Ukraine’.