Nigel Farage sparked backlash Monday with comments about Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s attire at the White House. He suggested the meeting with President Trump might have gone better if Zelenskyy had worn a suit.
The Reform UK leader, a close Trump ally, claimed the U.S. president is “incredibly old-fashioned” about dress codes in the Oval Office. He hinted that Zelenskyy’s casual look may have fueled Trump’s frustration, alongside Vice President JD Vance, over U.S. support for Ukraine.
“If I turned up at the White House, I’d make sure I was wearing a suit, my shoes were cleaned,” Farage told LBC. He argued that Zelenskyy showed a lack of respect by arriving in military gear.
Farage, who attended Trump’s inauguration, insisted the former president values proper attire. “Lots of times Trump said ‘yeah, good shoes, great shoes,’” he recalled. “If you’re going in with a positive mindset, maybe Zelenskyy should have thought about that.”
Zelenskyy has worn military-style clothing since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. It’s a show of solidarity with Ukrainian troops and a reminder that his country remains under attack.
During last week’s meeting, he wore a black sweatshirt with the Ukrainian trident. When asked by a reporter why he wasn’t in a suit, Zelenskyy replied that he would wear one after the war ended.
Farage dismissed that response. “There are times to wear it. There are times not to,” he said. He also criticized Zelenskyy’s approach, claiming the Ukrainian leader was “very unwise” in his demands for U.S. support.
When asked if he would have treated Zelenskyy the way Trump did, Farage flipped it around. “I wouldn’t expect the guest to be rude to me in my own house,” he said. “Absolutely not. I would expect a guest to treat me with respect.” However, he stopped short of fully defending Trump and Vance, adding, “I’m not defending what they did.”