Zelensky warns Nigel Farage is ‘contaminated with the virus of Putinism’

Nigel Farage is “infected with the virus of Putin”, Volodymyr Zelensky has warned.

The Reform UK chief is accused of being an apologist of Russian President Vladimir Putin after suggesting the West was responsible for the war in Ukraine. Mr Farage’s remarks, made during a BBC interview on Friday, have been branded “disgraceful”.

A spokesperson from Mr Zelensky’s office told the BBC after Mr Farage’s comments: “The virus of Putinism, unfortunately, infects people.”

It came after Mr Farage suggested during an interview with Panorama host Nick Robinson that NATO expansion was to blame for the Ukraine war. Mr Farage said: “I stood up in the European Parliament in 2014 and I said, and I quote, ‘there will be a war in Ukraine.’ Why did I say that? It was obvious to me that the ever-eastward expansion of NATO and the European Union was giving this man a reason to his Russian people to say, ‘They’re coming for us again,’ and to go to war. “

He went on: “We provoked this war. It’s – you know, of course it’s his [Putin’s] fault, he’s used what we’ve done as an excuse.”

And confronted about 2014 comments on his admiration for Putin, Mr Farage said: “I admired him as a political operator because he’s managed to take control of running Russia.” He later added: “This is nonsense, you know, you can pick any figure, current or historical, and say, you know, did they have good aspects? And if you said, well, they were very talented in one area, then suddenly you’re the biggest supporter.”

it comes after he said in a separate interview that he’d recommend Zelensky negotiate with Putin to end the war. Rishi Sunak responded: “What he said was completely wrong and only plays into Putin’s hands.

“This is a man (Mr Putin) who deployed nerve agent on the streets of Britain, who is doing deals with countries like North Korea, and this kind of appeasement is dangerous for Britain’s security, the security of our allies that rely on us, and only emboldens Putin further.”

And Keir Starmer told The Mirror : “On the question of Farage, his comments were disgraceful. Anyone who is standing for Parliament ought to be really clear that Russia is the aggressor, Putin bears responsibility, and that we stand with Ukraine, as we have done from the beginning of this conflict, and Parliament has spoken with one voice on this since the beginning of the conflict.”

Mr Farage refused to apologise over the remarks – insisting he’s not an “apologist or supporter of Putin”. Writing in The Telegraph he said: “I am not and never have been an apologist or supporter of Putin. His invasion of Ukraine was immoral, outrageous and indefensible. As a champion of national sovereignty, I believe that Putin was entirely wrong to invade the sovereign nation of Ukraine.

“Nobody can fairly accuse me of being an appeaser. I have never sought to justify Putin’s invasion in any way and I’m not now.”

He added: “But that doesn’t change the fact that I saw it coming a decade ago, warned that it was coming and am one of the few political figures who has been consistently right and honest about Russia’s Ukraine war.