'PUTIN PAL'
James Cleverly blasts ‘toxic’ Nigel Farage for ‘echoing Putin’ on Ukraine war & warns Reform ‘do not share Tory values’
Volodymyr Zelensky also slammed Farage's comments
JAMES Cleverly has blasted "toxic" Nigel Farage for "echoing Putin" on the Ukraine war - warning Reform "do not share Tory values".
Reform UK leader Farage was widely slammed for saying "if you poke the Russian bear with a stick, don't be surprised if he responds".
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He dangerously claimed Nato and the EU had "provoked" Putin into invading Ukraine.
Farage previously said he "admired Putin as a political operator because he's managed to take control of running Russia".
Home Secretary James Cleverly said Farage's comments rule out any place for him in Tory ranks.
Cleverly told : "If he goes on a political journey, well that's up to him.
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"But things are being said by Reform Party members at every level which I think are completely against the principles and philosophy."
The Home Secretary said he is proud of Britain's role in supporting the defence of Ukraine.
He also slammed another Reform candidate's claim that Britain should have stayed out of the Second World War.
Cleverly said: "Comments coming out of that party are echoing Putin's lines, saying that the Churchill should have appeased Hitler.
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"I cannot envisage how attitudes like that have any home in the Conservative Party, now or in the future.
Nigel Farage dangerously claims the West PROVOKED Putin into Ukraine war in brazen Panorama interview
"We are passionate about our defence of democracy and freedom, both historically and in the here and now.
"Farage has said over and over again his motivation is complete toxicity towards the Conservative Party."
A source from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's office condemned Farage's comments.
The insider said: "The virus of Putinism, unfortunately, infects people."
Sir Keir Starmer also stuck the boot into Nigel’s remarks, branding them "disgraceful".
He said: "Anyone who is standing for Parliament ought to be really clear that Russia is the aggressor and Putin bears responsibility.
"We stand with Ukraine, as we have done from the beginning of this conflict.
"Parliament has spoken with one voice on this since the beginning of the conflict."
Farage is acting like Nazi appeaser Neville Chamberlain, PM says
PM Rishi Sunak accused Nigel Farage of acting like Nazi appeaser Neville Chamberlain for saying the West is to blame for the invasion of Ukraine.
The Prime Minister said the extraordinary claim is "completely wrong" and "plays into Putin’s hands".
Sunak told The Sun on Sunday: "Putin is a man who deployed nerve agents on the streets of Britain. He is doing deals with North Korea.
"This kind of appeasement is dangerous for Britain’s security, and for the security of our allies who rely on us.
"It will only embolden Putin further. Ben Wallace is right - Nigel is more Chamberlain than Churchill."
Mr Chamberlain infamously did a deal with Hitler in 1938 allowing Nazi Germany to invade Czechoslovakia in exchange for "peace in our time".
It has gone down in history as one of the most humiliating accords ever struck by a British PM.
The Munich agreement flopped and the Second World War erupted in 1939.
In an interview with the BBC on Friday, Farage defended his previous comments appearing to suggest he admired Putin.
Farage said: "I'll tell you what you don't know. I stood up in the European Parliament in 2014.
"I said, and I quote, 'There will be a war in Ukraine' - why did I say that?
"The ever-eastward expansion of NATO and the EU was giving Putin a reason to say, 'They're coming for us again,' and to go to war.
"We provoked this war. It's – you know, of course it's his fault. He's used what we've done as an excuse.
"I'm the only person in British politics that predicted what would happen."
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Farage added: "Of course everyone said I was a pariah for daring to suggest it.
"My judgement has been way ahead of everybody else's in understanding this."
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