Jeremy Corbyn has called for military alliances like Nato to be disbanded and found himself unable to express any admiration for Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The former Labour leader, a long-standing critic of Nato, told Times Radio: “I would want to see a world where we start to ultimately disband all military alliances.”
Corbyn acknowledged the transatlantic alliance was not going to be scrapped immediately but added that people should “look at the process that could happen at the end of the Ukraine war”.
He said he did not blame Nato for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine but questioned: “Do military alliances bring peace?”
The Islington North MP, who now sits as an independent, also took a contrary view of the Ukraine President Zelensky who has been the toast of western capitals for his inspiring speeches against the Russian invasion of his country.
Asked if he admired the Ukraine President, Corbyn replied: “I’ve never met him. I don’t know.”
Corbyn lost the Labour whip over his response to the equalities watchdog’s report into antisemitism in the party.
Although he was reinstated as a Labour member after a suspension, Keir Starmer has refused to readmit him to the parliamentary party.
Corbyn said: “I think it’s a wrong, totally unjustified decision.”
He declined to rule out starting a breakaway party, possibly based on his peace and justice project.
“I don’t know what the future is going to bring. I am focused on representing my constituency, being a Member of Parliament and on saying to the Labour Party: to win the next election, you have to appeal to people."
“And you have to appeal to people on the basis of economic justice and changes in the power structures within our society.
“Abandoning policies that would achieve that, particularly public ownership, is not going to excite people.”
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.
