Reform UK leader Nigel Farage stood by his claim that the West "provoked" Russia into invading Ukraine after facing a barrage of criticism from other political leaders.
Speaking on Monday at a campaign event, Mr Farage said he would "never, ever defend" Russian President Vladimir Putin.
However, he told the crowd: "I was alone, I was the only person in 2014 who said there will be a war in Ukraine. I can't take those words away and nor would I want to."
He said had been "more far-sighted" in predicting a war in Ukraine, telling an event in Kent: "This has been turned into 'Farage makes outrageous statement', 'Farage defends Putin', well, I've done none of those things.
"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 peace at some time in the not too distant future, perhaps it might be helpful to understand what went wrong in the first place."
On Monday, Labour leader Keir Starmer, who is widely expected to win the general election on July 4, said he strongly disputed the Reform leader’s call that peace talks should be held.
"I fundamentally disagree. Russia is the aggressor here,” said Mr Starmer.
He added that he had been "proud of the fact that we've had unity throughout our parliament" in support for Kyiv.
Mr Starmer was responding to comments by Mr Farage, who said in a TV interview that the West “provoked Putin stupidly”. Mr Farage added: “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 ... fail, I think it's better to have those negotiations than not.”
Speaking in Scotland on Monday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "You all heard what Nigel Farage said about Ukraine.
World leaders attend the Ukraine peace summit - in pictures
"That plays into Putin's hands. That kind of appeasement is dangerous for Britain's security, the security of our allies that rely on us and will only embolden Putin."
Meanwhile, Mr Farage also hit back at Boris Johnson, after the former prime minister condemned his views.
Writing in The Telegraph on Saturday, Mr Farage had urged readers not to blame him for "telling the truth about Putin's war".
Mr Johnson shared the article on X, formerly Twitter, calling Mr Farage's views "morally repugnant".
Referring to The Telegraph article, Mr Johnson wrote: "This is nauseating ahistorical drivel and more Kremlin propaganda.
"Nobody provoked Putin. Nobody 'poked the bear with a stick'.
"The people of Ukraine voted overwhelmingly in 1991 to be a sovereign and independent country.
"They were perfectly entitled to seek both Nato and EU membership. There is only one person responsible for Russian aggression against Ukraine – both in 2014 and 2022 – and that is Putin.
"To try to spread the blame is morally repugnant and parroting Putin's lies."
Mr Putin has served continuously as either Russian president or prime minister since 1999, with elections which have been described as "rigged".
Home Secretary James Cleverly accused Mr Farage of "echoing Putin's vile justification for the brutal invasion of Ukraine" and Labour shadow defence secretary John Healey said Mr Farage was "a Putin apologist who should never be trusted with our nation's security".
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
What is an FTO Designation?
FTO designations impose immigration restrictions on members of the organisation simply by virtue of their membership and triggers a criminal prohibition on knowingly providing material support or resources to the designated organisation as well as asset freezes.
It is a crime for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide “material support or resources” to or receive military-type training from or on behalf of a designated FTO.
Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances removable from, the United States.
Except as authorised by the Secretary of the Treasury, any US financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which an FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Treasury Department.
Source: US Department of State
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
MO
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More coverage from the Future Forum
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Dubai World Cup nominations
UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer
USA: Seeking The Soul/Dallas Stewart, Imperial Hunt/Luis Carvajal Jr, Audible/Todd Pletcher, Roy H/Peter Miller, Yoshida/William Mott, Promises Fulfilled/Dale Romans, Gunnevera/Antonio Sano, XY Jet/Jorge Navarro, Pavel/Doug O’Neill, Switzerland/Steve Asmussen.
Japan: Matera Sky/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong/Simon Foster.
TOP%2010%20MOST%20POLLUTED%20CITIES
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Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final (first-leg score):
Juventus (1) v Ajax (1), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Match will be shown on BeIN Sports
Day 2, stumps
Pakistan 482
Australia 30/0 (13 ov)
Australia trail by 452 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the innings
RACE CARD
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 (PA) Listed Dh230,000 1,600m
6.30pm: HH The President’s Cup (PA) Group 1 Dh2.5million 2,200m
7pm: HH The President’s Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,400m
7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh70,000 1,200m.
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed
Rating: 1.5/5
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
- Two for Africa Group
- One for Asia-Pacific Group (traditionally Arab state or Tunisia)
- One for Latin America and Caribbean Group
- One for Eastern Europe Group
Countries so far running:
Without Remorse
Directed by: Stefano Sollima
Starring: Michael B Jordan
4/5
ON%20TRACK
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
