Lula attributes French opinion on war to “nervousness” over energy issues

On a visit to France, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) commented, this Saturday (24), on the criticism he suffered from the French newspaper Liberation – who, in a report on Friday (23) treated the Brazilian representative as a “disappointment” and a “false friend of Westerners”. The vehicle criticized, among other things, the president’s dubious statements regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Lula stated that it is normal for Europeans to be more “nervous” about the war, since “energy will certainly become a little more expensive” – in reference to the restrictions that the Russian government has made to the supply of energy to countries in Europe.

“They are in the center of the war. I am 14,000 kilometers away. So it is very normal that they are much more nervous because they are experiencing the war and suffering the consequences of the war more immediately and with concern about what will happen, because winter will arrive here and energy will certainly become a little more expensive. And who will they buy energy from? So they have to be more nervous, more worried than I am, they have to have a different thought”, said the president.

Regarding his opinion regarding the war, Lula pointed out that Brazil has already condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “This has already been declared and voted on by the UN. But that does not imply that I am going to foment war. I want to create conditions for both countries to come to terms with each other,” he stated.