The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, thanked Brazil for its efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine and stated that the Russian government is interested in resolving the conflict as quickly as possible. Lavrov met on Monday (17) with Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasília.
Since the beginning of his administration, Lula has advocated for the creation of a group of neutral countries to negotiate a peaceful resolution between Russia and Ukraine.
On Monday, Vieira reiterated Brazil’s willingness to contribute to a peaceful solution to the conflict. “I reiterated our position in favor of an immediate ceasefire, respect for humanitarian law, and a negotiated solution aimed at lasting peace that addresses the concerns of both sides,” said the Brazilian chancellor in a statement to the press after the meeting.
During a trip to China last week, President Lula stated that, with mutual “goodwill,” it would be possible to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that peace is in the interest of the entire planet.
“The United States needs to stop encouraging war and start talking about peace; the European Union needs to start talking about peace so that we can convince Putin and Zelensky that peace is in everyone’s interest and that the war only interests, for now, the two of them,” Lula told reporters in Beijing.
Like many leaders of middle-income and developing countries, Lula has adopted a policy of non-intervention in the war in Ukraine, rejecting efforts led by U.S. President Joe Biden to unite the global community in opposition to the Russian invasion.
Source: Agência Brasil and CNN