Nigel Farage is blaming Russia's 'invasion' of Ukraine on the EU and NATO

Nigel Farage has managed to shoehorn his dislike of the EU into the Ukraine-Russia crisis.

In a monologue on GB News, the former politician appeared to blame the EU for the escalating crisis, and suggested they should give in to Putin's demands to avoid war.

Speaking about 2014, when there was a revolution in Ukraine which ousted a pro-Russia leader Viktor Yanukovych after he declined to sign a trade agreement with the EU, he said:

"We need to learn the lessons of 2014 because it was the European Union wanting to expand, wanting the Ukraine to join it that directly led to that revolution.

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"People stood there in the squares of Kyiv waving European Union flags. The Nato policy, the EU policy of expanding ever eastwards was a huge strategic error."

Ukraine has been trying to join Nato for years and it was promised in 2008 that it would eventually be given the opportunity to join. In 2019, an amendment was adopted that enshrined the ultimate goal of Nato membership in the country’s constitution. Putin doesn't want this to happen, to put it mildly.

Farage continued: "We know the Russians can be paranoid but why poke the Russian bear with a stick? And if Vladimir Putin's one demand is that we state clearly that the Ukraine is not going to join Nato, why don't we do it?

Dismissing concerns that this could be seen as "appeasement", he added: "What possible strategic benefit or asset could it be to us for the Ukraine to join Nato. Absolutely none.

"If Putin gets that he won't invade and a war can be avoided."

Farage might be surprised to learn he has an ally in the youth wing of the Labour Party on this issue:

But aside from that, we're not sure Mr Brexit will win many hearts and minds with this take.

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