Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was welcomed in Lisbon on Saturday at the start of his first visit to Europe since being elected president.

Lula arrived in Portugal on Friday for a five-day visit taking place amid a controversy over his recent non-aligned stance over the Ukraine war.

The leftist leader angered the West when he took a neutral stance on the conflict and suggested during his China visit that the US "needs to stop encouraging war and start talking about peace."

Two Brazilian officials told Reuters that Lula - keen to protect Brazil's neutrality - was expected to avoid criticism of the Western role in the Ukraine war during his visit.

On Sunday, Lula 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 war.

Lula, who was wrapping up an official visit to China and the UAE, 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.

Lula's recent remarks sparked criticism from the White House.

"In this case, Brazil is parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda without at all looking at the facts," US National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.

Kirby described Lula's message on the war as "deeply problematic".

Portugal, a founding member of NATO and one of the first European countries to supply Ukraine with tanks, also voiced disapproval.

Relaunching Brazil's diplomatic relations

Lula's visit, with other Brazilian government officials, "continues the agenda of relaunching Brazil's diplomatic relations with its main partners," the government said in a document setting out the agenda.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa received Lula and Brazilian first lady Rosangela da Silva in an official ceremony at the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon.

A number of people wearing red, the color of Lula's Workers Party, gathered to show their support.

Angry about Lula's comments about the war, the Ukrainian community in Portugal held a demonstration outside the Brazilian embassy on Friday.

Portugal, home to around 300,000 Brazilians, and the South American nation will sign 13 bilateral agreements during the visit, including a cooperation deal between the two country's space agencies.

Brazil said Portugal could be an "important ally" to help South America's Mercosur bloc to negotiate the major free trade deal with the European Union. It has been on hold due to various climate concerns.

On Tuesday, Lula heads to Spain where he will meet King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

Read more: Brazil's Lula to send advisor to meet with Zelensky in Kiev: Minister