Brazil's Lula will not visit Russia or Ukraine until de-escalation
Brazilian media reports reveal that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will not make a visit to either Kiev or Moscow until the two countries de-escalate the conflict and prepare themselves for peace talks.
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Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends a meeting at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, 18 April 2023. (AP)
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will not visit Russia or Ukraine until the two countries commit to de-escalation, Brazilian media reported on Saturday.
Lula, who is on a visit to Portugal, told reporters on Saturday, "We need to create a group of countries that will sit down at the negotiating table with both Ukraine and Russia to find peace."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has scheduled a visit to Brazil to meet with his counterpart Mauro Vieira he has also conveyed the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Lula da Silva to visit Russia.
The Brazillian President recently visited the UAE and told reporters in Abu Dhabi, "Europe and the US continue to give their way of contributing to continuing the war. So they have to sit around the table and say, 'That's enough'."
He also pushed for the creation of a "political G20" in order to bring peace to the Ukrainian-Russian feud.
Lula's comments in China and the UAE have put him under strong criticism from Western officials and media, who accused him of parroting "Russian and Chinese propaganda."
According to US National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby, Lula's neutral position on bringing an end to the Ukranian crisis are "deeply problematic."
Furthermore, Ukrainians in Lisbon held a demonstration outside the Brazillian embassy on Friday in response to Lula's comments and accused him of supporting a "terrorist state."
Although Lula did not state his support to any of the sides the West has Angry about Lula's comments about the war, and the Ukrainian community in Portugal held a demonstration outside the Brazilian embassy on Friday.
EU top official Josep Borrel has previously described neutrality on Ukraine as disguised support for "Russia and its war of aggression."
The West's strict anti-Russian stance makes it difficult for a fair and peaceful settlement to the situation in Ukraine which is evident in the continuous armament of the Ukrainian army instead of working out a solution that would take the interests of both parties into consideration.
