Bernie Eccleston criticises Zelensky and praises Putin during bizarre GMB interview

Bernie Eccleston has said that Vladimir Putin is a 'first-class and sensible person' and revealed that he would ‘take a bullet for him’

The former chief executive of the Formula One Group spoke on Good Morning Britain when he was asked about his relationship with the Russian prime minister and the ongoing illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Pictures of Eccleston and Putin together were shown on the program, and he was then asked by hosts Ben Shephard and Kate Garraway whether he still regarded him as a friend.

“I’d still take a bullet for him,” he said, leaving the presenters in shocked silence.

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“Because he’s a first-class person and what he’s doing is something he believed was the right thing for Russia.”

He added: “Unfortunately he’s like a lot of businesspeople, certainly like me. We make mistakes from time to time and when you make a mistake you have to do your best to get out of it.”

Eccleston then went on to criticise Ukraine prime minister Volodymyr Zelensky.

“The other person in Ukraine… I understand he used to be a comedian. I think he seems as if he wants to continue that profession.

“I think if he’d have thought about things, he would definitely have made a big enough effort to speak to Mr Putin who is a sensitive person and would have listened to him and would probably have done something about it.”

A Formula One spokesperson told Indy100: “The comments made by Bernie Ecclestone are his personal views and are in very stark contrast to position of the modern values of our sport.”

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