Contrary to what was disclosed, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva did not meet with the President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky, for a bilateral conversation during the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
However, both were face to face, for the first time, during a working session of the G7, this Sunday (21/05), at the summit that took place in the Japanese city.
On one side of the table, Lula was seated between US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. On the other side, Zelensky was sandwiched between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol.
In his speech, Lula said that Brazil condemns the violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, but added that “no solution will be lasting if it is not based on dialogue”.
“We need to work to create space for negotiations,” said the Brazilian president.
“In line with the Charter of the United Nations, we strongly repudiate the use of force as a means of resolving disputes,” he said.
“At the same time, every day that fighting continues, human suffering, loss of life and destruction of homes increase.”
The meeting between the two, which was announced, did not take place. Both Zelensky and the Brazilian government said there were scheduling problems.
meeting with Modi
The host of the summit, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, said on Sunday that all emerging powers who attended the event in Hiroshima, including Brazil and India, support the principle of sovereignty and say the conflict in Ukraine must end peaceful way.
“We had important talks with these countries, we spoke frankly and gave an important message to the world,” Kishida said in an interview at Peace Park in Hiroshima, at the end of the summit of the group’s leaders.
According to the Efe news agency, a person who had access to the conversations reported that Lula would have questioned why talks about the conflict in Ukraine were not taking place in the UN Security Council.
Modi also reportedly spoke bluntly about the universal principle of sovereignty, in an apparent shift of discourse.
Lula and Modi had a bilateral meeting. The Indian leader declared that Brazil and India are not neutral countries in the war between Russia and Ukraine, but countries interested in maintaining peace in the world.
Modi also spoke about his interest in working with Brazil in search of a peaceful solution to the conflict. After the meeting, Lula wrote on Twitter: “We are on the side of peace.”
mediator in the conflict
Unlike Western countries, Brazil has not imposed financial sanctions on Russia, nor has it provided ammunition to Ukraine and is trying to position itself as a mediator in the conflict, just like China.
Lula’s statements about the war in Ukraine were poorly received in the US and Europe, for example that “Europe and the United States are contributing to the continuation of the war”.
In response, the White House said that Lula was repeating “like a parrot” Russia and China’s propaganda about the conflict.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
