Nigel Farage today blamed Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky for starting a furious row with Donald Trump at the White House last week.

The Reform UK leader, a vocal cheerleader for the US President, accused the war leader of ‘overplaying his hand’ and sparking the astonishing televised spat with Mr Trump and Vice-President JD Vance.

Mr Farage also criticised president Zelensky for ‘bowling up and showing no respect’ to Mr Trump, because he failed to wear a suit and tie to his meeting in Washington DC. 

The Ukrainian premier, who was given a warm welcome by King Charles at Sandringham yesterday, cut short a trip to the US in which he was supposed to sign a minerals deal with Mr Trump.

Mr Trump sparked global outrage by accusing Mr Zelensky of ‘gambling with World War Three’ and said he had not expressed enough thanks for US aid in defending his country against Putin‘s invasion.

Speaking to LBC today, Mr Farage said Ukraine was a ‘corrupt country’ and had to accept it was not getting territory such as the Crimea back. 

He added: ‘If I turned up at the White House I would make sure I was wearing a suit and my shoes were clean.’

After it was pointed out that the Ukrainian president was following in the footsteps of leaders such as Sir Winston Churchill in visiting in battle fatigues, he added: ‘If Zelenky wants to bowl in and show no respect to a man who we all know is incredible old fashioned about this stuff… if you are going in with a positive mindset maybe Zelensky should have thought about that.’ 

‘Zelensky was very unwise to tell the Americans what would happen to them if they didn’t back him,’ he added.

‘It was unwise, yes sure Vance and Trump bit back, but I think in diplomatic terms Zelensky played it very badly.

‘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.’

And he said Ukraine must have a presidential election as soon as a peace deal ‘is on the table’.  

However, his remarks sparked criticism from other parties. 

Tory shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel MP said: ‘President Zelensky is a hero, who has stood up to Putin’s aggression, and led his country’s defence against their barbaric and illegal invasion over the last 3 years – and it is troubling to not hear the Leader of Reform say that.

‘For Nigel Farage to sit there pointing the finger at Zelensky is both morally wrong and diplomatically counterproductive.

‘At this uncertain and dangerous time, one would hope that MPs of all stripes would be putting our national interest first, rather than playing politics.’

And Lib Dem leader Ed Davey added: ”Zelensky showed courage and integrity in that room – in stark contrast to Farage’s cowardly approach of licking Trump’s boots.’

European leaders and Canada assembled in London at the weekend to try to thrash out a response after the extraordinary White House bust-up.

Mr Macron told Le Figaro that France and Britain were looking at a temporary truce that would cover air, sea and energy infrastructure – but not fighting on the ground as it would be ‘very difficult to verify’.

Mr Zelensky said he was ‘aware of everything’ when asked about the plan. Kyiv has repeatedly warned that Vladimir Putin will just break a ceasefire deal.

However, Downing Street sounded cool on the concept, with insiders insisting there were ‘various options on the table’ and it ‘has not been agreed’. Ministers said they did not ‘recognise’ the specific proposal.

Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky has moved to try to cool the feud with Mr Trump, heaping praise on the support the US has given up to now.

He also told reporters after the summit that Ukraine was still ‘ready to sign’ the minerals deal, and he would return to the Oval Office for discussions.

Meanwhile the UK ambassador to the US Lord Mandelson has been slapped down by a defence minister for suggesting that Ukraine should commit to a ceasefire before Russia.

Lord Mandelson’s comments do not represent Government policy, armed forces minister Luke Pollard said.

The ambassador used an interview with American outlet ABC to say that Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky should give ‘unequivocal backing’ to US President Donald Trump’s peace initiative.

Mr Trump’s overtures to Russia’s Vladimir Putin, with the possibility of Ukraine being sidelined in talks led by the White House and the Kremlin, has alarmed European leaders.

Lord Mandelson said a ‘very radical reset’ was needed following the Oval Office row between Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky.

‘The reset has to consist of the United States and Ukraine getting back on the same page, President Zelensky giving his unequivocal backing to the initiative that President Trump is taking to end the war and to bring a just and lasting peace to Ukraine,’ he said.

‘And the Europeans too, they need to back the calls for a ceasefire, and – by the way – I think that Ukraine should be the first to commit to a ceasefire and defy the Russians to follow.’

But asked whether Lord Mandelson’s remarks reflected Government policy, Mr Pollard told Sky News: ‘No. It’s certainly right that Ukrainians want peace. I think of all the people on our continent that want peace, the Ukrainians want it the most.

‘But we’re still in discussions, diplomatic engagement with our European, US and Ukrainian friends as to the shape of that deal.

‘But it’s certainly right that the war could stop tomorrow if President Putin stopped his illegal and unprovoked aggression. He could stop this war.’

Asked whether Lord Mandelson misspoke, he said: ‘That’s not Government policy.’