LONDON — Populist British politician Nigel Farage doubled down on claims that the West provoked Russia's war in Ukraine despite facing backlash from Westminster in the crucial final weeks of the U.K. election campaign.
Clarifying his comments Saturday, Farage said he was not and never has been "an apologist or supporter of Putin," but claimed that he "saw the war coming" and that the West has "played into Putin's hands."
"As I have made clear on multiple occasions since then, if you poke the Russian bear with a stick, don't be surprised if he responds.
And if you have neither the means nor the political will to face him down, poking a bear is obviously not good foreign policy."
He also recalled comments made to the European Parliament in 2014 — shortly after Russia's annexation of Crimea — in which he questioned NATO's military exercises in Ukraine.
Persons:
Nigel Farage, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Farage, —, NATO's
Organizations:
LONDON, Populist, Telegraph, Reform, NATO, European Union
Locations:
Populist British, Ukraine, Westminster, Crimea