(Brasilia) Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reiterated Monday that he is in favor of peace negotiations in Ukraine if they include Russia, during a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
“On the subject of Ukraine, President Lula reiterated his defense of peace negotiations involving both sides of the conflict,” the Brazilian presidency said in a statement, specifying that Lula had “received a call” from Mr. Putin in in the morning, at a time when a conference on peace in Ukraine which will take place next weekend is being prepared in Switzerland, without Moscow and at the initiative of Kyiv.
Brazil’s left-wing president reiterated that this position was “in line” with a joint statement with China issued on May 23.
In it, the two countries said they “support an international peace conference held at an appropriate time recognized by both Russia and Ukraine, with equal participation of all parties, as well as fair discussion of all peace plans.”
But he will not participate in the summit on Ukraine which will be held Saturday and Sunday in Burgenstok, Switzerland.
Russia, which requires Kyiv’s recognition of the annexation of the territories it occupies to negotiate, has repeatedly affirmed that organizing a summit without its participation makes “no sense”, and has castigated the “formula of peace” put forward by President Volodymyr Zelensky, which includes the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory, financial reparations and the creation of a special court to try Russian officials.
“Our position is that any peace discussion must involve both sides. The one-party model has already been tried during this conflict, without result,” a Brazilian diplomatic source told AFP.
The Brazilian presidency also indicated that Mr. Putin had “expressed his solidarity with the victims of the floods” which devastated southern Brazil, leaving more than 170 dead.