Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel has launched an attack on Nigel Farage, accusing the Reform UK leader of failing to condemn Vladimir Putin while criticising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Speaking on GB News, Patel said Farage "should be absolutely calling out Putin for the fact he is an aggressor and a malign aggressor in our own country as well".
She compared Farage's stance on Russia to that of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Patel defended Zelensky's military attire during his White House visit, drawing parallels with British history.
Priti Patel criticised Farage's remarks
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"In WWII we had a wartime leader, Winston Churchill, who went to the White House in battle dress in the same way Zelensky did on Friday," she told GB News.
She described the Ukrainian president as "a hero, who has stood up to Putin's aggression, and led his country's defence against their barbaric and illegal invasion".
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Priti Patel spoke on GB News to Christopher Hope
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Farage sparked controversy during a phone-in on LBC radio, where he criticised Zelensky for being "rude" to Donald Trump during their Oval Office meeting.
"I think President Zelensky was very unwise to tell the Americans what would happen to them if they didn't back him," Farage said.
He also criticised the Ukrainian leader for not wearing a suit, saying: "If I turned up at the White House, I'd make sure I was wearing a suit and that my shoes were clean."
Patel emphasised that Russia is the aggressor in the conflict with Ukraine.
Donald Trump told Zelensky he is 'gambling with World War 3' in a fiery exchangeREUTERS"We are collectively fighting an aggressor. That aggressor is Russia," she stated on GB News.
She called for unity among Westminster politicians in condemning Putin's regime.
"People have died and been poisoned in our country. I have seen things from my time in Government that I have not been able to repeat," Patel revealed.
She added that she had taken actions against Russia "that safeguards citizens in our country".
Prime Minister Keir Starmer also clashed with Farage in the House of Commons over Ukraine.
Responding to Farage's question about British troop commitments, Starmer told him: "We should all be supporting him [Zelensky] and not fawning over Putin."
The exchange came after Farage questioned whether a minerals agreement between Ukraine and America would provide sufficient security guarantees.
Starmer was clear in his response: "The mineral deal is not enough on its own."
Farage has previously expressed admiration for Putin, describing him in a 2014 GQ magazine interview as "an operator, but not as a human being".
During last year's election campaign, he faced criticism for telling the BBC that the West had "provoked" Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Patel drew parallels with Corbyn, saying: "Jeremy Corbyn never stood up to Putin or acknowledged Putin was responsible for state sanctioned deaths in our country."
