NEIL Oliver has been accused of being an “apologist for Russian fascism” after appearing to accuse the West of lying about the war in Ukraine.

The former Coast presenter and Unionist commentator admitted he did not “understand what’s happening” in Ukraine because he ignores “most of the mainstream media”.

In column for GB News’ website, Oliver wrote: “The West must accept responsibility for a share of the blame for what is now being suffered and endured by ordinary people there.”

Throughout the article opining on the situation in Eastern Europe Oliver repeats he does not “know what’s really going on in Ukraine” but said it was the fault of the West “fiddling while Rome burns”.

But the veteran investigative journalist John Sweeney accused Oliver of making excuses for “Russian fascism”.

He added the GB News presenter “should be in The Tower”.

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Oliver also compared Putin – who stands accused of committing war crimes in Ukraine – to the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and New Zealand's premier Jacinda Arden, because of their Covid restrictions. 

He wrote: "People like Putin – and Trudeau and Ardern and Macron – watch what others get away with, what works in the furthering of nefarious ends – and act accordingly.

"Putin is in part our fault, just as Trudeau and Macron are our fault."

He said the West had dropped the "masks of liberal democracy" in recent years. 

Sweeney is currently reporting on the ground from Kyiv – which has been bombed by the Russian military in recent days.

Around 70 Ukrainian troops have been killed near Okhtyrka – a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv.