The President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvaassured this Friday that the call for a group of countries not involved in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine to assume a negotiation to restore peace in Europe.
It did so after Brazil was the only Brics country (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) to vote yesterday in favor of the non-binding resolution of the UN General Assembly that calls for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Russia and defends the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
“Restore Peace”
“At a time when humanity, with so many challenges, needs peace, one year of the war between Russia and Ukraine has come to an end.. It is urgent that a group of countries not involved in the conflict assume the responsibility of directing a negotiation to restore peace“Lula said in a message on social networks, according to the Télam agency.
It did so after the Brazilian vote, which was aligned with Latin American allies such as Mexico and Argentina, but also with the vision of the US and its partners in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the conflict in which they are allies. from Ukraine.
Political scientists identified with the historical diplomatic line of Lula and the Workers’ Party (PT) rejected the Brazilian position, and Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira published a statement to defend his country’s position.
Brazil’s vote came after Lula visited his American colleague, Joe Biden, in Washington. with whom he signed a joint communiqué in which for the first time Brasilia recognized the need to repudiate Russian “territorial annexations” in Ukraine, in reference to the Russian-speaking majority region of Donbass, in eastern Ukraine.
Brazil does not send weapons to Ukraine
Lula began his presidency declaring neutrality in the conflict and anticipating that In March, he will talk in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, about accelerating a peace process in Ukraine. mobilized by countries that are not involved in the conflict. the brazilian president rejected two requests from Germany and France to provide weapons and ammunition and join NATO to arm the Ukrainian army.
Also considered a “mistake” the Russian invasion to his neighbor and equated the warlike attitudes of both the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and the Ukrainian, Volodimir Zelenski. “If one does not want, two do not fight,” said Lula on January 31, when receiving a visit from the German chancellor, Olaf Schölzwho left empty-handed in his request for Brazil to supply ammunition to the German tanks ceded to Ukraine.
In a statement to explain the Brazilian vote at the UN, the foreign minister Mauro Vieira He assured that Brazil’s position condemning the “territorial violation of a sovereign state, Ukraine, is unequivocal.”
“But a year later, The understanding of the Brazilian Government is that, in the midst of the most strident choruses and powerful voices, focused on the war and its strong geopolitical dimension, the time has come to also give a voice to those who want to speak about ways to build peace. Lula made a clear and public option in that sense,” he said. Vieira said that Brazil “does not have a ready solution” but rather intends to “listen and dialogue” with countries and blocs willing to reach an understanding.
“To the possible internal criticism of this Brazilian position, generally due to an alleged excess of prominence on the international scene at this point in the conflict, I respond with facts: either In the contacts maintained so far by Lula with 15 heads of state and government, or in the more than 40 meetings that I have held with foreign ministers, leaders of international organizations and with other heads of state and government, the Brazilian position is well understood. in the conflict,” he explained.