Farage: EU does have 'blood on its hands' over Ukraine - March 27, 2014 - Asked by an audience member why Ukraine wanted to join what he had called a "failed" institution, Mr Farage attacked the EU's "imperialist, expansionist" ambitions, saying it had "blood on its hands" for encouraging Ukrainians to topple their president."If you poke the Russian bear with a stick he will respond. And if you have neither the means nor the political will to face him down that is very obviously not a good idea."
He said the British public were sick of being "dragged into conflicts where no pressing national interest was at stake".
He said European leaders should not allow the expectation to grow that countries such as Britain "will always side with uprisings in the naive belief that benevolent liberal democracy is bound to replace existing regimes, fundamentally imperfect as they are".
"That is not the way the world works. So I repeat the charge: the EU has blood on its hands," he added.
The sound isn't brilliant, but for a "quick and dirty" it makes the necessary points.
That is fine; obviously Britain has no vital interests at stake there, -- but I would be concerned if Putin becomes not "the Russian bear" but instead some kind of a hero. That would be very bad for conservatism in Europe, especially now that they are poised for electoral gains.