Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been called a “crook” and a “punk” by a former top aide to Donald Trump.
Steve Bannon also told Sky’s Ali Fortescue he thinks the US president should pull out of a planned minerals deal with Ukraine.
In a wide-ranging interview on the Politics Hub, the ex-chief strategist said Mr Trump’s efforts to improve relations with Russia is a “brilliant” move.
Steve Bannon speaks at a conservative conference in Maryland earlier this month. Pic: AP
Mr Bannon said the UK and Europe need to “wake up” and realise they do not have to be worried about Russia invading the rest of Europe, as they do not have the army to do it.
“The rapprochement of the United States with Russia breaks the control of the Chinese Community Party… it’s a brilliant stroke.”
Follow latest: Zelenskyy’s olive branch to Trump
He added the EU “will come along with it” and insisted Mr Trump is “going out of his way to be a peacemaker”.
But he was clear about whether the leader should agree to sign a deal with Ukraine‘s president for rare minerals, which was supposed to happen on Friday until the pair had a heated row in the Oval Office.
“Absolutely not. He [Zelenskyy] had his shot. Zelenskyy is untrustworthy. He’s a crook and a punk. And he showed what a punk he was in the Oval Office the other day,” said Mr Bannon.
He suggested the row was prompted by Mr Zelenskyy trying to get security guarantees from the US, something the American public would not accept.
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Minerals deal a ‘gift’ to Ukraine
“They told him, time and time and time again, do not bring up security guarantees. A security guarantee means… American troops and that will never happen,” said Mr Bannon.
He also said the deal was unnecessary and only a “very general framework” anyway, which risked tying the US to the “future reconstruction of the country”.
“We don’t need a rare earth deal. The United States doesn’t need rare earths from Ukraine. That was a total gift to him and the Ukrainian people.”
However, sources have told the Reuters news agency that Mr Trump is planning to announce the US and Ukraine’s minerals agreement during his address to Congress on Tuesday.
Read more from Sky News:
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Mr Trump has paused military aid to Kyiv in the most dramatic step yet in his pivot towards closer ties with Russia.
‘Let EU underwrite Ukraine security’
Mr Bannon also took aim at European nations, saying defence spending was insufficient: “Let them [the EU] step up and let them underwrite the security of Ukraine.”
In particular he described the UK’s commitment to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence as “nothing”. He also criticised Britain’s combat capabilities saying the economy “can’t afford it”, adding the “bond market already turfed out Liz Truss“.
He said the “reality” is that much of NATO did not spend enough on defence, has “faked” for decades its capability to take on Russia, and the military alliance would struggle to put up “two combat divisions”.
Mr Bannon also accused “much of the British establishment” of being in business with the Chinese Communist Party.
In terms of UK politics, he says he is “a Nigel Farage guy and believes in Reform“.
Mr Farage is close to the US president but has had to be slightly more reserved in his praise of him of late – knowing British public opinion is very much behind Mr Zelenskyy and Ukraine.
