In an interview, EFF leader Julius Malema discussed his views on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, emphasizing his belief that Vladimir Putin had no choice but to invade Ukraine. The extension of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) into Eastern Europe, he claimed, forced Putin’s hand.
According to SABC News, he went on to explain that Putin does not want civilian casualties, but that the Ukrainian army is exploiting civilians as human shields.
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This contradicts reports from refugees and observers in the area. After being brutally shelled by Russian forces, the city of Mariupol has been described as a humanitarian disaster, with many civilians killed.
Malema said that the Russian invasion went “a long way” to prevent civilian casualties. Malema believes that a ceasefire will be agreed upon and that Putin is a “man of his own words,” and that a solution to the war can be reached.
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He went on to say that if America and the West respected other countries’ sovereignty and stopped expanding towards the East, the world would be a better place. According to France24, the South African government’s stance on the Ukraine crisis is jeopardizing the country’s neutral status.