The president of Brazil defended today, at the end of a visit to China, that the United States should stop “encouraging war” in Ukraine and the European Union should “start talking regarding peace”.
“The United States must stop encouraging war and start talking regarding peace, the European Union must start talking regarding peace”, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told journalists in Beijing, before leaving for the United Arab Emirates.
In this way, he explained, the international community will be able to “convince” the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and the Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, that “peace is in the interest of the whole world”.
Lula, who returned to power in January following two terms in office between 2003 and 2010, made a two-day visit to China to strengthen economic ties with his main trading partner. He also took the opportunity to say that Brazil was “back” on the international stage, which hopes to play a role in mediating the conflict in Ukraine.
The leader will now have to manage a delicate balancing act between the United States, with which he has strong ties, and China.
The trip to China, which included a more economic part in Shanghai and a more political part in Beijing, where he met Xi Jinping, came following visiting Washington in February.
Lula said he was convinced that the strengthening of ties between Brasilia and Beijing would not harm his country’s relationship with the United States.
Unlike many western powers, China and Brazil have never imposed financial sanctions on Russia and both are trying to position themselves as mediators.
The Brazilian president is promoting the idea of a group of countries whose objective would be to work for peace in Ukraine, and before his visit to China he promised that this group would be “created” when he returned to Brasilia.
“Patience is needed” to talk with Putin and Zelensky, he said. “But above all, we have to convince the countries that supply weapons, that encourage war, to stop,” he added.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil informed on Friday that the meeting between the heads of Brazilian and Russian diplomacy, on Monday in Brasilia, will have as its main topics the war in Ukraine and the development of potential partnerships.
On the first trip of the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, to Brazil since 2019, the two diplomats will address “the potential of the Brazilian-Russian strategic partnership (…) and the prospects for cooperation in areas of common interest, with a focus on trade and investments, science and technology, environment, energy, defense, culture and education, as well as the strengthening of political dialogue on bilateral, international and regional issues”, indicated the Itamaraty in a statement.
Sergei Lavrov will be in Brasília on Monday, where he will be received at the Itamaraty Palace by his counterpart, Mauro Vieira.
“The visit will also be an occasion to address the conflict in Ukraine. Brazil has defended, in international forums and bilateral contacts, the immediate cessation of hostilities and the importance of combining diplomatic efforts to facilitate the achievement of a peaceful negotiated solution,” he added.
with international agencies