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'SHAME ON YOU'
Sir Rod Stewart hits out at Nigel Farage over ‘disgraceful’ claim the West provoked Russian invasion of Ukraine
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer also spoke out after the comments
SIR Rod Stewart has hit back at Nigel Farage following his claims that the West provoked Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The music legend, 79, said he was “outraged and dumbfounded” after the Reform UK leader, 60, argued that the EU and NATO have given Putin a "reason" to tell his people "they're coming for us again”.
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Former UKIP chief Farage was speaking during an interview with the BBC's Nick Robinson on Friday.
In response, Sir Rod told The Sun: “I’m obviously not a politician but I am entitled to my opinion.
“I’ve supported Ukraine since the war began by sending supplies, renting a house for a whole family, giving jobs to Ukrainians at my home.
“I dedicate a song every night to the struggle and show the blue and yellow flag on massive video screens during my concerts.”
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He added: “The blue and yellow flag on my massive video screens during my concerts .
“I’m outraged and dumbfounded that Farage blames the West for the war - is he suggesting that NATO is the aggressor here?
“NATO’s purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means, not to start a war on paranoid Putin’s Russia. Shame on you Nigel."
It comes as Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky slammed Nigel Farage for his dangerous claims that the West provoked Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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The Prime Minister said the claims are "completely wrong" and "only play into Putin's hands".
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer said that Farage's comments were a "disgrace".
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The Labour Leader said: “Putin bears responsibility, sole responsibility, for the Russian aggression in Ukraine”.
“Anyone who’s standing for parliament ought to be really clear that Russia is the aggressor.”
And Ukrainian leader Zelensky said the Reform leader had been "infected by the virus of Putinism".
Farage was challenged on previous comments that appeared to suggest he admired Russian despot Vladimir Putin.
He was branded an appeaser for his comments.
However, he did insist that the blame for the conflict "of course" lay with the Kremlin tyrant.
A source from President Zelensky's office told the BBC: "The virus of Putinism, unfortunately, infects people."
There is yet to be any official reaction from Kyiv.
Ex-Defence Secretary Ben Wallace slammed the comments, saying: "Farage constantly lectures everyone about sovereignty but is happy to placate a dictator."
And he accused Farage of "too often showing an unhealthy relationship with the Kremlin's talking points".
The respected Tory added: "Farage refuses to see Putin for what he is.
"How can Farage express sympathy or admiration for a man who deployed nerve agents on the streets of Britain?"
And he branded him "more Chamberlain than Churchill".
In reference to suggestions he admired Putin, Farage hit back at Robinson: "I said I disliked him as a person, but admired him as a political operator because he's managed to take control of running Russia."
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In a tweet from February 2022, Farage said the war was "a consequence of EU and NATO expansion".
He defended the comment saying he had been warning since the 1990s that "the ever eastward expansion" was dangerous.
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