Brazil's Lula raises Ukraine war mediation with China, UAE

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Apr 2023 09:17

Brazil and the UAE announce a series of deals on combating climate change and advancing biofuels as Lula paid an official visit to the Gulf country.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, April 15, 2023 (UAE Presidential Court)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Sunday said he had discussed joint mediation to end the war in Ukraine with China and the United Arab Emirates, accusing the United States and Europe of prolonging the conflict.

Lula, who was wrapping up an official visit to China and the UAE after returning for a third term in office, said the two countries and others should join a "political G20" to try to end the war.

"Europe and the US continue to give their way of contribution to continue the war. So they have to sit around the table and say, 'That's enough'," he told reporters in Abu Dhabi.

While in China, Lula accused Washington of "encouraging" the war by supplying weapons to Ukraine.

He also lashed out at the dollar's dominance in global trade, calling for a new currency for transactions between the BRICS countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

The 77-year-old said he spoke to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, about forming a group of countries to mediate, styled after the G20 group of advanced economies.

"The G20 was formed to bail out the (world) economy that was in crisis," Lula said, pointing out that "now it's important to create another kind of G20 to end this war and establish peace. This is my intent and I think that we'll manage to have great success."

He continued, "Yesterday I talked to the sheikh about the war. I talked to Xi Jinping about the war. And I think that we're meeting a set of people that prefer to talk about peace than war. And so I think we're going to have success."

Lula said he had already discussed his initiative with US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the leaders of some South American countries.

The leftist Brazilian President, who was due to fly back to Brazil early on Sunday, confirmed that his delegation had signed deals worth $10 billion in China.

Brazil, UAE seal climate, biofuels deals

In a related context, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates announced on Saturday a series of deals on combating climate change and advancing biofuels as Lula paid an official visit to the Gulf country.

"It was a highly fruitful visit," Lula expressed in brief comments to Brazil's TV Globo after meeting bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on his way home from a trip to China.

Brazil and the UAE indicated in a joint statement that the leaders had discussed a range of subjects including trade, technology, defense, aviation, and food security.

They also announced a series of deals, including one for the UAE-controlled Mataripe refinery in northeastern Brazil to invest up to $2.5 billion in a biodiesel project in the region, and another on cooperating against climate change.

The UAE is due to host the COP28 UN climate talks later this year, and Brazil is a candidate to host the 2025 edition.

The two countries said they had agreed to work together to "encourage ambitious climate action" from the rest of the world.

The UAE is Brazil's second-largest trading partner in the Middle East, according to the official WAM news agency.

Bilateral trade excluding oil products totaled more than $4 million last year, representing a 32-percent rise from 2021, the news agency highlighted.

In Beijing, where Lula sought to consolidate economic ties with Brazil's main trading partner, he affirmed that his country was "back on the international stage" and ready to mediate an end to the war in Ukraine.