Green Party leader Zack Polanski has risked a fresh row by claiming Britain’s ‘special relationship’ with America is ‘more of a danger’ than the actions of Vladimir Putin.
In an astonishing outburst against Keir Starmer’s efforts to maintain US-UK ties, Mr Polanski suggested it was a greater threat to the UK than Russia’s assault on Ukraine.
The Prime Minister has been fiercely criticised by Donald Trump in recent weeks as the US President fumes at Sir Keir’s failure to provide greater support for his Iran war.
In response, Sir Keir has distanced himself from America’s military action in the Middle East but continued to stress the importance of the transatlantic relationship.
Yet Mr Polanski demanded the PM offer greater condemnation of Mr Trump’s attacks on Iran and claimed it was ‘despicable’ that Sir Keir had failed to do so.
‘Keir Starmer’s commitment to the so-called special relationship with Donald Trump is more of a danger to British people than what Vladimir Putin is doing in Ukraine,’ the Green leader said.
Mr Polanski’s comments will bring further scrutiny of his demands for a radical shift in UK foreign policy, with him having also advocated for Britain quitting NATO and expelling American troops from UK military bases.
In a dig at the Green leader’s backing for the legalisation of all drugs, Sir Keir has previously jibed that Mr Polanski is ‘high on drugs, soft on Putin’.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski has risked a fresh row by claiming Britain’s ‘special relationship’ with America is ‘more of a danger’ than the actions of Vladimir Putin
The Greens are predicted to enjoy a strong performance in May’s local elections, with Mr Polanski’s party tipped for success in urban areas that were previously Labour strongholds
Mr Polanski, a self-described ‘eco-populist’, has overseen a surge in support for the Greens since becoming the party’s leader in September last year.
The Greens are predicted to enjoy a strong performance in next months’ local elections, with Mr Polanski’s party tipped for success in urban areas that have previously been Labour strongholds.
At a press conference for foreign journalists in London on Tuesday, Mr Polanski was asked whether he still stands by his past comparison of Mr Putin and Mr Trump.
In comments reported by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the Green leader made reference to the US President’s recent threat to Iran that ‘a whole civilisation will die’.
Mr Polanski said: ‘As horrendous as Vladimir Putin is and as despicable as his crimes are, I’ve never seen him threaten genocide.
‘And I’ve never seen him threaten to wipe up an entire civilization and I’ve never seen Keir Starmer saying we have a special relationship with Vladimir Putin – as we shouldn’t – or that he’s our ally, but we have with Donald Trump.
‘There was no condemnation from Keir Starmer that I saw about what he’s threatening to do in Iran nor what is happening in Lebanon or Gaza.
‘I think that’s despicable. At this point, it’s not that Donald Trump is more of a danger than Vladimir Putin.
‘But I think Keir Starmer’s commitment to the so-called special relationship with Donald Trump is more of a danger to British people than what Vladimir Putin is doing in Ukraine, which is also vile and needs to stop.’
