The National:

RUSSIA has launched a “full-scale” invasion of Ukraine, with airstrikes targeting the country’s air bases, and troops moving across the border.

To the eternal Brexiteer and career contrarian Nigel Farage, the EU is to blame.

In a tweet that he surely can’t have run by anyone with any sense, Farage wrote: “Well, I was wrong. Putin has gone much further than I thought he would.

“A consequence of EU and Nato expansion, which came to a head in 2014. It made no sense to poke the Russian bear with a stick.

“These are dark days for Europe.”

The remark was quite a U-turn, given how he was on GB News just last week claiming that Putin “doesn’t actually want to invade the Ukraine”.

The National:

That “the” is quite important.

The country has officially stated that it is incorrect to refer to it as “the Ukraine”, as the term is widely seen as a hangover from when the nation was a region of the Soviet Union. Its use can be interpreted as undermining Ukrainian sovereignty.

Farage is still awfully keen on sovereignty in the context of Brexit though.

But when it comes to Putin – the world leader Farage previously said he most admires –all those so-called principles go out the window.

“EU and NATO expansion were acts of democratic nations exercising their national sovereignty to enter into international treaties – a right of nations that you apparently care so deeply about that you dedicated your life to campaigning for,” political commentator Adam Schwarz wrote.

“This is counterintuitive Nigel. You wanted the UK to have control of its borders and who it signs treaties with, but not Ukraine? Think it through,” one Gary Robertson added.

Following Farage’s tweet, the comparisons to Lord Haw-Haw, the pro-Nazi radio broadcaster who could be heard on Britain’s airwaves during the Second World War, came thick and fast.

Former English rugby star Brian Moore wrote: “Lord Haw-Haw speaks – what time are you on KGB News?”

Perhaps Farage has been listening too much to Putin’s propaganda. In truth though, it seems Farage hasn’t been listening very closely to Putin at all.

The Russian President gave a televised speech on Thursday where he labelled Ukraine “our own historical territories” and railed against its right to exist as it currently does. He said the nation would be demilitarised and suggested its borders would be redrawn.

Putin is probably glad to have allies like Farage doing his work for him.