Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, stated on Friday that he spoke on the phone with Vladimir Putin, his counterpart in Russia, and reiterated his willingness to start peace negotiations with both sides of the conflict in Ukraine.
When invited to an economic symposium in Saint Petersburg, Lula tweeted that he had also thanked Putin for the invitation but had to decline it since he “can’t visit Russia at the moment.”
Lula also said that he had discussed the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this week. “I reiterated Brazil’s willingness, along with India, Indonesia, and China, to talk to both sides of the conflict in pursuit of peace,” he said.
The call was confirmed by the Kremlin, which reported that Putin informed Lula that Russia is willing to talk with Ukraine.
When invited to an economic symposium in Saint Petersburg, Lula tweeted that he had also thanked Putin for the invitation but had to decline it since he “can’t visit Russia at the moment.”
Lula also said that he had discussed the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this week. “I reiterated Brazil’s willingness, along with India, Indonesia, and China, to talk to both sides of the conflict in pursuit of peace,” he said.
The call was confirmed by the Kremlin, which reported that Putin informed Lula that Russia is willing to talk with Ukraine.
In order to put a stop to the conflict, which started when Russia attacked its neighbour in February 2022, Lula has positioned himself as a peacemaker.
His suggestion asks for a coalition of countries not participating in the conflict to engage both Russia and Ukraine in negotiations. It is based on Brazil’s history of non-intervention and neutrality.
Due to schedule conflicts, the socialist leader’s planned meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the fringes of the Group of Seven summit in Japan this month was cancelled.
