Former Brazilian President Lula Inacio da Silva told TIME magazine that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are both responsible for the war in Ukraine, writes CNN.
"Sometimes I sit and watch the President of Ukraine speak on television, being applauded by all European parliamentarians," Da Silva said. "He's as responsible as Putin for the war. "Because in war he is not just a guilty person."
Da Silva said Putin should not have invaded Ukraine, but the United States, NATO and the European Union are also to blame.
"What was the reason for the occupation of Ukraine?" NATO? Then the US and Europe should have declared: "Ukraine will not join NATO." "That would have solved the problem," he said.
"The other issue was Ukraine's membership in the EU. Europeans could have said: 'No, now is not the time for Ukraine to join the EU, we will wait'. "They should not encourage war."
Da Silva went on to call Zelensky's behavior "a bit strange", citing the Ukrainian president's frequent television appearances.
"It seems like he is part of the show. He spoke in the parliament of Great Britain, in the German parliament, in the French parliament, in the Italian parliament, as if he was doing a political campaign. "He must be at the negotiating table," said the former president.