Reform UK's former deputy leader Ben Habib has slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for "biting the hand that feeds him" amid escalating tensions with Donald Trump.
Speaking on GB News, Habib criticised Zelensky's rejection of potential peace deals, saying it was "absolutely stupid" to dismiss Trump's efforts to end the conflict.
"For Zelensky to bite the hand that feeds him by saying 'no deal Trump strikes with Putin will be acceptable unless we're a part of it' and then to say what he did about Trump is absolutely stupid," Habib said.
He argued the Ukrainian-Russian war was supported by what he termed the "liberal global order".
Ben Habib hit out at Zelensky
REUTERS / GB NEWS
The latest clash erupted after Trump branded Zelensky "a dictator without elections" in a scathing social media post on Wednesday.
The former US president criticised Ukraine's delayed elections, which were originally scheduled for April 2024 but postponed due to Russia's invasion.
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Trump hitting out at Zelensky was discussed on GB News
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In his Truth Social post, Trump accused Zelensky of being "a modestly successful comedian" who convinced America to spend $350 billion on "a War that couldn't be won".
Zelensky swiftly responded by accusing Trump of living in a Russian-made "disinformation space".
The Ukrainian leader is set to meet US special envoy Keith Kellogg, who arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday.
Habib expressed strong support for peace efforts in Ukraine during his GB News appearance.
Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump REUTERS"I am delighted about the prospect of peace in Ukraine. Everyone should be. We should not be warmongering," he stated.
Habib suggested the conflict had already achieved significant impact on Russian forces.
"Russia has had a bloody nose from this conflict. It's time for peace," he declared.
He framed the situation as part of a broader shift away from what he called the "liberal global order" towards national interests.
Trump claimed in his post that the United States has spent "$200 Billion Dollars more than Europe" on the conflict.
He insisted that Europe's investment is guaranteed whilst "the United States will get nothing back".
The former president declared that he and his administration are "successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia".
Trump further alleged that Zelensky "admits that half of the money we sent him is 'MISSING'" and suggested the Ukrainian leader "wants to keep the 'gravy train' going".
He concluded by stating that Zelensky "has done a terrible job" and that "MILLIONS have unnecessarily died".
