The conflict is a proxy war led by the US and EU, and Moscow is “justified” in refusing to bow to their ambitions, Julius Malema tells RT
The Ukraine conflict is a proxy war led by the “imperialist” West against Russia, and Moscow is right to defend itself, Julius Malema, the leader of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters opposition party, has told RT. In an exclusive interview aired on Friday, the politician expressed his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and the decisions he has made over the past two years with regard to the Ukraine crisis.
“What Putin is fighting for is justifiable. Anyone who is being pursued by the imperialist forces is in alliance with the progressive forces in the entire world,” Malema stated.
“He can’t have America and the EU wanting to expand its territory to the point where they would breathe down Putin’s neck – he’s not going to allow that, he’s going to defend his territory, his sovereignty, and we’ve seen him doing it very well,” he said, referring to Moscow’s justification for the military operation in Ukraine – NATO expansion near Russia’s borders. Rather than confronting the military bloc directly, Malema added, Putin chose to address the immediate threat in Ukraine, hoping for international mediation.
Meanwhile, the US has been actively exacerbating the situation, recently granting permission to Kiev to use US-made long-range missiles to strike internationally recognized Russian territory, which amounts to a “declaration of war,” the politician said.
“It’s not Ukraine’s war, it’s America’s war, let’s call things by their proper names. And it’s Europe’s war,” Malema added. He noted that Putin is unlikely to agree to end the conflict on the West’s terms, no matter how much pressure the US applies.
“America has got no respect for international law… They have always behaved like a big brother – anything that is not in the interest of what they stand for has got to go. But Putin is not the kind that is going to be pushed all over by Americans,” he said.
Malema criticized Washington for using culture and media to push its narratives on issues such as the Ukraine conflict. He praised platforms like RT for countering this and providing insight into what is “actually happening” around the world.
“The alternative media gives us the correct information that we can critically analyze. Look at RT. They were banned in South Africa at one point, but nothing has stopped us from accessing the Russian news,” he said, adding that RT has shown the “realities” that helped South Africa declare: “We are with Russia.”
