Mr Smith savaged Russian President Vladimir Putin and his puppets, who are currently holding the two British prisoners of war, Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner. Both foreign fighters were sentenced to death this week, after being put on trial by Russian-backed forces in Ukraine. The ex-comms advisor claimed the Russians in control of Donetsk and Luhansk, where the Britons are being held, were ‘grubby little warlords.’ Mr Smith went on to predict that a possible negotiation will be on the table in the next few days.
Mr Smith told Talk TV: “This is a disgusting Soviet-era show trial, and it’s the latest example of the depravity of the Putin regime.
“One of the things I think we really need to stop doing in Government circles and media circles is, stop referring to these people as separatists.
“And at very worst referring to what went on as a civil war for the last eight years.
“These people who run the so-called Donestk and Luhansk peoples republics, are really little more than grubby little criminals and warlords.
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Mr Smith added: “Completely in control Putin, I fully expect in the coming days that this will be a negotiation.
“And the Kremlin… I fully expect to see the Kremlin claim that of course, as these breakaway states are independent, the Kremlin cant control what they do.
“Putin turns these guys on and off like a tap and has done for eight years.”
British Ukrainian mercenary Aiden Aslin has been imprisoned by Russian-aligned forces since April, after having to surrender to Russian-backed forces.
The second man to be sentenced, a former British army serviceman Shaun Pinner, is also now waiting alongside Mr Alsin to see if the British Government negotiate their freedom.
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Hamish De Bretton a former British army officer discussed the illegal actions of Putin and his supporters in Donetsk and Luhansk.
Mr De Bretton-Gordon told GB News: “I’m sure if Putin flexes his muscles in that area, he can make anything happen, [the seperatists] are entirely reliant on the Russian forces to support their activities in the Donbas and everything else.
“But I think it is, what the Russians are allowing to do, the way that they are fighting this illegal war, which is why, I would hope that Liz Truss has called the Russian ambassador in London, to her office straight away, to get him to sort this out as soon as possible.
“It is the Russian military that is full of mercenaries.
“The Wagner Group I’ve seen in Syria, who act absolutely outside the laws or the Geneva Convention.”
Mr De Bretton added: “So we must make it very clear,” he added.
“I mean, these are British citizens sentenced to death by the Russians.
“It’s outrageous.”
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The British Government have said they are “deeply concerned” about the death sentencing, amidst calls for them to conduct negotiations in order to bring them home safely.
A No 10 spokesman said: “We are obviously deeply concerned by this. We have said continually that prisoners of war shouldn’t be exploited for political purposes.
“You will know that under the Geneva convention prisoners of war are entitled to combatant immunity and they should not be prosecuted for participation in hostilities.
“So we will continue to work with the Ukrainian authorities to try and secure the release of any British nationals who were serving in the Ukrainian armed forces and who are being held as prisoners of war.”