Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho has said that the war in Ukraine has unleashed a climate of “Russophobia”.
Coelho, who authored the acclaimed novel “The Alchemist”, wrote in a Twitter post: “Ukraine crisis a convenient excuse for Russophobia”.
The writer was widely condemned by social media users, many of whom urged Coelho to acknowledge the devastating impact of the war and to publish photos of the victims and destruction caused by the Russian army.
Addressing the criticism, Coelho followed up, writing: “I was in Lviv, Kyiv, Odessa, Yalta, Chernobyl (Ukraine). I covered 10,000 km by train from Moscow to Vladivostok (Russia). Yes, there is a war: but do not blame ordinary people “.
