Lula blames Zelensky's uncompromising position for war in Ukraine

     
"I see the president of Ukraine, speaking on television, being applauded, getting a standing ovation by all the European parliamentarians," Lula, Brazil's president from 2003 to 2010, told Time magazine, which published a story Wednesday on his bid to stage a presidential come-back in elections against far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.
      
"This guy (Zelensky) is as responsible as Putin for the war," he added.
     
Lula, 76, said Zelensky should have yielded to Russian opposition to Ukraine's moves to join NATO and made (territorial) concessions to avoid a conflict.
     
Referencing Zelensky's rise to fame as an actor and comedian, he added: "We should be having a serious conversation. OK, you were a nice comedian. But let us not make war for you to show up on TV."
    
He also had criticism for US President Joe Biden.
    
"Biden could have taken a plane to Moscow to talk to Putin. This is the kind of attitude you expect from a leader," he said.
     
Lula, who leads Bolsonaro in the polls for October's elections, was a key player on the international stage during his two terms as president, building Brazil's diplomatic clout.

Portraying himself as a bridge-builder, he maintained friendly ties with counterparts as disparate as George W. Bush of the US and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.
       

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