Nigel Farage is facing a furious political backlash after he criticised Volodymyr Zelenskyy over his bust-up with Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

The Reform UK leader accused the Ukrainian president of showing “no respect” to Trump and said he should have dispensed with his usual military-style clothes and worn a suit.

Trump and his vice-president JD Vance ambushed Zelenskyy, accusing him of failing to show enough gratitude for the military support America has given Ukraine since the start of its war with Russia three years ago.

Speaking on LBC, Farage said: “I think President Zelenskyy was very unwise to tell the Americans what would happen to them if they didn’t back him. Yeah sure, Trump and Vance bit back, but I think in diplomatic terms, Zelenskyy played it very badly.”

He 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.”

Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel said Farage was “completely wrong” to attack Zelenskyy.

Posting on X, she said: “President Zelenskyy 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 Zelenskyy 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.

“But sadly, it is not surprising. Like Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Reform UK seems to have history equivocating over Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.”

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “Nigel Farage is once again showing his true colours as Trump’s own spokesman here in Britain.

“Zelenskyy showed courage and integrity in that room - in stark contrast to Farage’s cowardly approach of licking Trump’s boots.

“Farage is more focused on promoting Trump and Musk’s interests in the UK than British interests in the States. He was once again parroting White House talking points this morning, to the dismay of British people here at home.

“It’s clearer than ever that Nigel Farage is simply out for himself and his Mar-a-Lago cronies.”