Global Courant 2023-04-19 05:54:27
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also reiterated his calls for a negotiated peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has denounced the “violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity” after being criticized for comments he made over the weekend about Russia’s invasion of the country.
However, the leftist leader reiterated his call for mediation in the conflict, which began in February 2022.
“While my government condemns the violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, we advocate a negotiated political solution to the conflict,” Lula said in a speech following his meeting with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.
The Brazilian leader explained that he expressed his “concern” to Iohannis about the “global consequences” of the war “in terms of food and energy security, especially in the poorest regions of the planet”.
Brazil has positioned itself as an advocate for peace amid the war in Ukraine, which injured or killed as many as 22,209 civilians as of March 20. confirmedthough it notes that the actual number may be “significantly higher.”
But over the weekend, Lula ignited international relations with comments that seemed to blame Ukraine for its part in the war, saying it was caused by “decisions made by two countries”.
He also criticized the United States and Europe for “contributing” to the hostilities by supplying Ukraine with weapons. Lula explained that he hoped to build a “group of countries that have nothing to do with war, that don’t want war” to lead the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
The Brazilian president’s comments — followed by a Monday visit from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov — sparked protests from Ukraine, the US and their allies.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s foreign ministry, called on Lula to visit the war-torn country “to understand the real causes and essence of Russian aggression and its implications for global security.” to understand”.
“Ukraine is following with interest the efforts of the President of Brazil to find a solution to end the war,” Nikolenko wrote. “At the same time, an approach that puts the victim and the aggressor on the same scale” does not “correspond to the real state of affairs”.
In a press briefing later in the day, the administration of US President Joe Biden likewise rejected Lula’s comments, echoing earlier criticism by US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby that Brazil was “parroting” Russian propaganda.
“The U.S. – and you’ve heard us say this many times – has no objection to any country trying to end Russia’s war on Ukraine,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. she remains “confident in the strength of the US-Brazil relationship”.
But Jean-Pierre insisted that the war in Ukraine was a war started by Russia, “a war of choice”. And she rejected claims “suggesting that the United States and Europe were not interested in peace or that we share responsibility for the war.”
The ‘tone’ of Lula’s remarks, said Jean-Pierre, ‘was not neutral and is not true. And so we will continue to speak out against it.”
Lula previously called on Russia to withdraw from territory it has invaded since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but has also suggested that Ukraine lose its claim to Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula that Moscow invaded in 2014 and annexed, could revoke. .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected such a proposal.
Lula’s foreign policy adviser, Celso Amorim, told the Globo news outlet on Monday that it was never the Brazilian president’s intention to “offend” anyone. He also said Brazil does not share Russia’s perspective on the war and does not hope to “beat” Russia.
“Brazil defends the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” Amorim explained. But he reiterated his calls for negotiated peace: “As long as there are no talks, the ideal peace for the Ukrainians and the Russians will not come. Concessions must be made.”
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