Reform UK leader Nigel Farage criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was ambushed by Donald Trump and his sidekick JD Vance in the Oval Office last week
Nigel Farage suggested Volodymyr Zelensky was “rude” and “very unwise” in his meeting with Donald Trump in the White House.
The Reform UK leader criticised the Ukrainian President, who was ambushed by the US president and his sidekick JD Vance in a sickening diatribe in the Oval Office on Friday. He said he wouldn’t expect a guest “to be rude to me in my own home” and that he played it “very badly” in Washington DC.
Asked if the pair bullied President Zelensky, Mr Farage told LBC: “I think President Zelensky was very unwise to tell the Americans what would happen to them if they didn’t back him. I think it was unwise. Yeah, sure, Vance and Trump bit back. But I think in diplomatic terms, I think Zelensky played it very badly.”
Pressed on whether he saw anything “intemperate” in Mr Trump’s language, the Clacton MP replied: “Whether there was or whether there wasn’t, we’re heading towards peace. We’re heading towards peace. It’s a good thing.” Pressed if he’d treat a guest as Mr Trump did, Mr Farage added: “I wouldn’t expect a guest to be rude to me in my own house, absolutely not. I would expect a guest to treat me with respect.”
He said he wasn’t “defending” Mr Trump and Mr Vance’s behaviour and said he would “try not to” behave like that myself but he insisted the sickening diatribe from the pair was “irrelevant”. “This is where we all go wrong. We’re all focusing on on the row that happened. Maybe the row was bound to happen anyway. Zelensky wasn’t ready, maybe for this, and perhaps the Americans weren’t ready for it either. I don’t know.”
Elsewhere Mr Farage appeared to criticise Mr Zelensky not wearing a suit to the White House. Asked about the Ukrainian President being interrogated on his battle clothes during the meeting, Mr Farage said: “Well, do you know what, if I turned up on the White House, I’d make sure I was wearing a suit and my shoes were cleaned.” Asked if he was critical of Mr Zelensky wearing his battle clothing, he added: “I think there are times to wear it and there are times not to, perhaps.”
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