Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was “as much responsible” for the conflict in his country as his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, in an interview with the American magazine Time published on Wednesday.
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“I see the Ukrainian president being applauded standing by all the parliaments (of the world). But this guy is as responsible as Putin. A war never has a single culprit”, declared the favorite of the October presidential election in Brazil.
“He wanted war. If he didn’t want it, he would have negotiated a little more,” he added.
Lula also called Mr. Zelensky’s behavior “strange”: “It looks like he’s part of a show. He is on TV morning, noon and evening, in the English, French and German parliaments, as if he were in the countryside. He should be more concerned regarding the negotiating table.”
The icon of the Brazilian left has also accused Western powers of “inciting hatred once morest Putin”.
“If we stimulate Zelensky, he himself thinks he is the best. In fact, we should have told him seriously: + my guy, you are a good comedian, but we are not going to make a war so that you can put on a show. And tell Putin. You have plenty of weapons, but you don’t need to use them once morest Ukraine. Let’s talk!” he insisted.
Lula, 76, who presided over Brazil for two terms from 2003 to 2010, points the finger at US President Joe Biden who he says has “not made the correct decision” regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
“The United States has a very important weight and might have avoided the conflict (…). Biden might have been more involved, he might have flown to Moscow and talked to Putin. This is the kind of attitude we expect from a leader,” said the Brazilian.
The UN also took it for its rank. “There is an urgent need to create a new global governance. The UN no longer represents anything, it is no longer taken seriously by the leaders. Putin invaded Ukraine unilaterally, without consulting the UN,” he said.
From the start of the war in Ukraine, the Brazilian left took an ambiguous position, condemning the Russian invasion on the one hand, but holding NATO responsible on the other.