Brazil’s president won’t “please anyone” on Ukraine. After being criticized for blaming Kyiv for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated he doesn’t intend to “please anyone” with his views.
Lula stated Saturday in Lisbon that he wanted to “build a way to bring both of them (Russia and Ukraine) to the table.”
“I want to find a third alternative (to solve the conflict), which is the construction of peace,” he told a news conference.
Lula was criticized in the West for blaming Ukraine and Russia for the conflict that began when Moscow invaded its neighbor in February 2022.
He said last week that arming Ukraine was prolonging the fight. “If you are not making peace, you are contributing to war,” Lula stated.
The White House called Lula “parroting” Russian and Chinese propaganda. Lula visited Portugal for five days on Friday to boost relations.
Lula’s news conference partner, Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, stated their countries’ war views differed.
Portugal provided military weapons to Ukraine as a founding NATO member. Rebelo de Sousa claimed Ukraine could protect and “recover” its territories.
Portuguese Ukrainians protested Lula’s war rhetoric outside the Brazilian consulate on Friday.
Lula attended a greeting ceremony outside Lisbon’s Jerónimos Monastery earlier Saturday. Police warned two Ukraine supporters with a flag and signed they could not demonstrate near the ceremony because they had not received permission.
Brazil and Portugal, home to 300,000 Brazilians, will sign agreements on technology, energy transformation, tourism, and culture.
Brazil called Portugal an “important ally” for Mercosur’s EU free trade negotiations.
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