I’ve just watched the whole thing. I think Nick Robinson had done his homework and did a decent job. I also think Farage, whatever your opinion of him or Reform, acquitted himself well. There have been times where he openly gets aggy and does himself no favours, but this wasn’t one of them. The focus on his comments about Ukraine and Putin is typical of how opponents acquire faux outrage over certain things for political gain. Nothing in Farage’s comments was revelatory; it is an area of the whole sorry Ukraine story that has been discussed by many commentators for some time. I have no idea how right or wrong the claim that Putin was provoked is - there have certainly been events in recent history that I can see would’ve made Russia unhappy - but it is clear (and Farage was clear) that the war is on Putin. Now watching Robinson with Starmergeddon. Still think there’s questions around his previous support of Corbyn when some is his cabinet were more principled.
Putin will be delighted with Farage's support. The line that he was provoked into invading Ukraine by NATO expansion is pure Kremlin propaganda. Farage has appeared on Russia Today on numerous occasions.
Farage is the forerunner for Trump on this issue, assuming Trump is elected POTUS. The problem is, Putin is still stuck in C20th, where winning territory by military aggression is favourable to winning hearts and minds. The EU and NATO's progress east has undoubtedly provoked Putin, but Putin's KGB instincts were there anyway, and Georgia and Ukraine would always have been his first targets for re-conquest, using subversion and military. Glasnost and Gorbachev seem a lifetime ago.
That’s your opinion according to your own bias in the same way others take an opposing view because of their bias. Rather like the racism smear when one tries to discuss immigration, ‘Putin Apologist’, ‘Climate Denier’ are just convenient and lazy accusations designed to shut down debate.
In Parliament, Labour, Bryant, accused Farage of taking half a million pounds from RT, but it wasn't true, and Bryant sensibly never repeated the claim outside Parliament. Bryant has also appeared on RT
yeah i absolutely agree with this and i think farage has it spot on. I was just curious what everyone thought as most people try to absolve the west of any blame even though for me its a grey area and number of circumstances has brought this on even if ultimately putin pulled the trigger. Especially as it's the likes of farage who has brought this up when previously its been Corbin who has historically mentioned this i believe and been castigated for it.
I do understand your point ( and Farages too)... but it's a bit like getting a kid to learn judo because his area is full of bullies. They may not pick on him, but he does know a bit about how to defend himself
Anybody that knows the history of that region would know the Russians have been paranoid about their borders since the 1800s. We think because we’re The West we’re always the good guys on the side of right, and the Russians are the bad guys, which is fine and dandy and generally what I believe, but perhaps your average Russian thinks similarly about themselves and The West.
Well worth a listen, gives a good insight as to how Putin and the Russian population view the West and NATOs expansion into Eastern Europe. This was recorded before the invasion, so quite prophetic https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Xy2Rz1J0XFf9NCPu1CfZE?si=Xm-G-5JPQBmWERqEEobW2Q
The average Russian may well be paranoid about NATO and the West, but that would be because they're encouraged to be so by Kremlin propaganda. NATO expansion was as a result of former Soviet states and other countries neighbouring Russia fearing invasion by Putin and seeking to join the organisation for protection. NATO is a defensive organisation and doesn't pose a military threat to Russia. When has NATO ever invaded anywhere? Should the West have denied these countries the protection of NATO for fear of provoking Putin? This seems to be what Farage is saying.
Advice sought: I am planning to have the outside of my house painted. My neighbours to the west have painted their house a lovely shade of blue and have some paint left over which they said they would give to me. On my East there is a miserable old man who has painted his house a violent hue of orange. When we told him that we were thinking of painting our house blue he threw a massive fit, saying that we weren’t allowed to, because once upon a time, decades ago, our house was attached to his. He has a long running feud with our neighbours to the West, claiming that they are trying to undermine him. He has since annexed a chunk of our garden, saying ‘this was always mine’ and attempted to rape our dog. Every night he throws stones at our windows. He wants our house to be painted the same colour as his and to have the vast majority of our garden. Should I: - cave in to the Eastern neighbours demands in the hope of a quiet life; or - assert our right to do whatever we want with our own house and be friends with whoever we like - try and find some kind of halfway house solution, like letting him have the bit of garden he has already taken and not painting the house at all. Thanks for your help.
He attempted to rape your dog? **** him (not literally). Take the garden back and paint the house neon yellow like that Only Fools episode if you want to. Bloke will end up being sectioned or beaten to death soon anyway. Bloody dog nonce.
The struggle in ideologies between the US and Russia is well known. When NATO moves to the border with Russia, it's largely American missiles that are parked there. That's how a Russian would see it. The problem is, Putin is a murdering psychopath, with whom the West cannot do business, so it's been hard for the West's expansion east to be carried out diplomatically and with guarantees to Russia. There's no trust on either side. The West has not caused the current impasse, but it has exascerbated it. That's what Farage has been saying. I'm not clear though, what he feels the West should have done differently when encouraging autocracies in Eastern Europe to become democracies.
