Russians seize on Kemi Badenoch comments Ukraine is fighting 'proxy war' for West and UK

has received support from an unlikely source as the Russian embassy has backed her recent words calling the conflict in Ukraine a "proxy war for the West". During an interview on Sky News with journalist Trevor Phillips, Ms Badenoch said the bloody wars in Gaza and Ukraine were both examples of countries fighting on behalf of the UK and the West.

terrorists in Gaza, Ms Badenoch explained her view that "Israel is fighting a proxy war on behalf of the UK, just like Ukraine is on behalf of the West, Western Europe against Russia". Ms Badenoch went on to highlight the recent terror plot against the Israeli embassy in London and the shocking killing of an Israeli couple linked to the embassy in Washington in recent days.

However, the Tory leader's use of the term 'proxy war', which means a conflict fought by groups, or smaller countries, which are backed by and support the interests of larger powers, has been seized on by the Russian embassy in London.

The embassy shared the clip of Ms Badenoch on their social media, along with the statement: "Kemi Badenoch has finally called a spade a spade. Ukraine is indeed fighting a proxy-war against Russia on behalf of Western interests. The illegitimate Kiev regime, created, financed and armed by the West, has been at it since 2014."

In a rambling caption, the embassy made the spurious claim that then Prime Minister visited when "peace was at hand" and told them to fight on. The former PM went to Ukraine in March 2022, just weeks after Russian forces had launched an unprovoked ground assault on Kyiv.

Mr Johnson was the first Western leader to visit after 's illegal invasion in February 2022, and his actions pushing for sanctions and a collective response from the West to Kremlin aggression have often been cited as some of the finest moments of his premiership.

The Embassy statement added that the war started by Moscow had been "an unmitigated disaster for Ukraine and its people, as well as an unprecedented security crisis in Europe".

It continued by calling the war "Russia's Special Military Operation" and stating that the conflict's aim was to "end to the proxy war and restore peace."

It's doubtful Ms Badenoch will lose any sleep over the posting from the Russian Embassy, as she has previously said she "wouldn't be afraid" to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a dictator.

Her words came after the Trump administration used the term to describe Ukraine's President Zelensky in February prior to an explosive meeting between Zelensky and Trump in the Oval Office on February 28.

Posting on X at the time, Ms Badenoch wrote: "President Zelensky is not a dictator. He is the democratically elected leader of Ukraine who bravely stood up to Putin's illegal invasion.

"Under my leadership, and under successive Conservative Prime Ministers, we have and always will stand with Ukraine."