Lula: Right or wrong sides in Ukraine war 'useless', US instigating
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Establishing a "G20 for peace" a group of neutral and emerging nations to work for an end to the war, remains on Lula's agenda as he condemned the UN for not acting to end it.
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Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gestures as he speaks during a business meeting with Spanish Minister for Economic Affairs Nadia Calvino, at Casa de America, in Madrid, Spain on April 25, 2023 (Reuters)
During his visit to Spain, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated that it was useless to claim "who is right" in the war in Ukraine, which comes after he blamed the West earlier this month for prolonging the war by arms supply to Ukraine.
"No one can doubt that Brazilians condemn Russia's territorial violation of Ukraine. The mistake happened and the war started," he stated on Wednesday, adding: "There is no use now in saying who is right, who is wrong. What we have to do now is stop the war".
At a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, he said: "No one in the world is talking about peace except for me, it is like being alone screaming in the desert."
Last Sunday, Lula said he had discussed joint mediation to end the war in Ukraine with China and the United Arab Emirates, saying: "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'."
Earlier this month, Lula stated that the US to stop "encouraging" the war and suggested that Ukraine give up Crimea which Russia annexed in 2014. Europe, Ukraine, and the US criticized these comments, and accused him of "parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda".
"It is not up to me to say who Crimea belongs to... When you sit at a negotiating table you can discuss anything, even Crimea," he said, adding: "But I am not going to discuss that, it is the Russians and the Ukrainians who will discuss that."
Read more: Brazil's Lula to send advisor to meet with Zelensky in Kiev: Minister
Establishing a "G20 for peace" a group of neutral and emerging nations to work for an end to the war, remains on Lula's agenda as he condemned the UN for not acting to end it. "The UN could have called an extraordinary session with all UN member states to discuss the war. Why didn't it do so?"
On the other hand, Sanchez commented: "In this war, there is an aggressor and a victim of an attack," adding that "the aggressor is" Russian President Vladimir Putin. "It is essential that the country which was attacked...is listened to and that its peace proposal is taken into account," he added.
Spain, a NATO member has been a close ally of Ukraine and will assume the presidency of the EU in July.
On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Brazil with Lula, as the US criticized the South American leader's recent remarks. Lavrov thanked Lula for his offer to mediate peace talks on the 14-month war.
This marks Lula's first trip to Europe after returning to office in January and vowing that "Brazil is back" on the international stage due to four years of isolation under the rule of his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.
