Lula to Zelensky: Military option will not solve Ukraine conflict
3 Min Read
The Brazilian leader tells the Ukrainian President that it was "important to build an atmosphere for negotiations to end the war."
-
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, on September 19, 2023 (AFP)
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stressed to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that a military option will not solve the conflict in Ukraine.
Lula met for the first time with Zelensky since the war and said he heard out his views.
The Brazilian leader told the Ukrainian President that it was "important to build an atmosphere for negotiations to end the war."
"Negotiating around a table is much cheaper than wire. There are no victims, no deaths, and no shooting," he told reporters.
CNN Brasil cited diplomatic sources as saying that Lula believes that the best path to ending the conflict in Ukraine is through peaceful negotiations.
The Brazilian leader earlier said he had discussed with Zelensky ways to put an end to the ongoing war, recalling that Brazil had repeatedly called for joint efforts to "achieve peace".
On Tuesday, Lula called for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, saying, "No solution will be lasting if it is not based on dialogue."
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, he said, "I have reiterated that work needs to be done to create space for negotiations."
He pointed out that "a lot is invested in weapons and very little in development."
The Brazilian President said Zelensky is "as responsible" for the war as Russian President Vladimir Putin and has refused to join Western nations in imposing sanctions on Russia or supplying munitions to Ukraine.
Lula has sought to position Brazil as a potential mediator in the conflict, along with other neutral countries, including China, India, and Indonesia. He previously emphasized that ending the war in Ukraine is a collective duty for all countries of the world.
Brazil's Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency Marcio Macedo stressed in April that arms supplies to Ukraine and sanctions imposed on Russia do not contribute to dialogue and prolong the conflict.
It is noteworthy that the Brazilian President has repeatedly called for an end to the Ukraine war and urged Western countries to stop arms supplies to Kiev.
In mid-April, he underlined during a trip to China that the United States should stop “encouraging war” in Ukraine and blamed the West for prolonging the war by arms supply.
Read more: Denied ATACMS, Zelensky warns without US aid, Kiev will lose the war
