Ex-British Army chief blasts Nigel Farage over Ukraine war comments
Nigel Farage has been criticised over his comments on the war in Ukraine by a former head of the British Army Lord Dannatt lashed out at the Reform UK leader for suggesting the West hold 'sensible' negotiations with Vladimir Putin over ending the fighting.
It came as Mr Farage tried to bat away claims he is 'echoing' Russian propaganda at a rally in Kent this morning. He told an audience in Maidstone he would 'never, ever defend' the Russian President, and claimed he had been 'more far-sighted' in predicting the conflict would start.
He added: 'I would never, ever defend Putin and I think his behaviour in Ukraine and elsewhere has been reprehensible. 'But if we're going to think towards a peace at some time in the not too distant future, perhaps it might be helpful to understand what went wrong in the first place. It came as Mr Farage tried to bat away claims he is 'echoing' Russian propaganda at a rally in Kent this morning.
He told an audience in Maidstone he would 'never, ever defend' the Russian President, and claimed he had been 'more far-sighted' in predicting the conflict would start. Asked by the BBC if Mr Farage has a point with his remarks on Ukraine, Lord Dannatt said: 'As far as I'm concerned, Nigel Farage doesn't have a point worth listening to about anything.'
He added on BBC Radio 4's World At One: 'If the issue is the wider point as to whether the situation in the war has got to a point where negotiations should take place that is entirely a matter for president Zelensky and really for him alone to decide whether, in his judgment, to negotiate would be a better thing to do in order to save more Ukrainian lives than continue fighting.'
Last night The Reform leader said he supported peace talks arguing the invasion had reached a 'complete stalemate' and the loss of lives was 'horrific'. Interviewed on an ITV election special being broadcast tonight, Mr Farage repeated his controversial view that NATO and the EU 'provoked' Moscow - although he caveated that was 'up until a few years ago' and stressed he supported giving Kyiv munitions. Asked how he would deal with Putin, the former MEP said: 'Well, we've tried of course through sanctions to weaken him, but all that's actually done is drive him into the arms of China .
'He needs to know there's a threat now, he needs to know, he does need to know, it is so far and no further. 'I think the West historically, up until a few years ago, provoked Putin stupidly. I felt the ever, ever eastward expansion of NATO and the European Union was giving Putin a reason to go to war. I guess the question is, what do we do now? 'And yes, I do support us giving munitions and help to Ukraine, but I feel the war is a complete stalemate. 'I think the number of lives being lost is horrific. There have been no sensible substantive negotiations of any kind and even if negotiations to try and find a peace to try and find a way through fail, I think it's better to have those negotiations than not.'
The comments came after Rishi Sunak, James Cleverly and military figures slammed Mr Farage 'for 'echoing Putin 's lines' on Ukraine. Mr Farage also used today's rally to brand the Channel migrant crisis an 'invasion' for the second time, as he slammed Tory control of the UK's borders. The Reform UK leader warned of an influx of young men as he addressed supporters at a rally in Kent this afternoon. He claimed that the majority of those crossing the channel in small boats were coming from countries suffering from 'terrorism ... gang culture and war zones'. His remarks echo those made last year by former Tory home secretary Suella Braverman , who has since called for closer links between the two parties.
It is not the first time he has referred to an 'invasion', having been criticised by charities in 2020 for similar remarks. After highlighting small boat crossings in the Channel, he said: 'Remember I went out four years ago, again and again, into the Channel to highlight what was going on, to say you might as well put a sign on the white cliffs of Dover saying 'everyone welcome'.' He added: 'I warned that huge numbers would come, I even said there might be an invasion, which is of course the rudest word you could possibly use in BBC land, but now 4,000 boats and 128,000 people later, it does look like it's been an invasion to me - and it's mostly young men.' Mr Farage also shared his fear that the world is at its most dangerous position for more than 60 years.
In a Kent speech, the Reform UK leader said: 'There has been virtually no debate on defence whatsoever other than a ludicrous 'we're going to bring back national service' which would only apply to 30,000 young people who would join the military for a year. 'There's been precious little debate on defence, precious little debate about the state of our armed forces, precious little debate about how little we still do in this country for our veterans, and precious, precious almost no debate on foreign policy.' Mr Farage added: 'I have no doubt that the world is in a more dangerous place right now than it's been at any point since the Cuban missile crisis over 60 years ago. 'A couple of years back, we would have thought war on a global scale was inconceivable but we now all, don't we, harbour that doubt and that worry at the back of our minds.' Mr Farage also said: 'We need 30,000 at least young men and women to join the army, get trained and stay as full-time soldiers.'
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