The defense minister said today that Lula da Silva’s visit will be an opportunity to explain that Portugal “is not giving Ukraine weapons to support aggression, but to support resistance to aggression”.
Helena Carreiras was asked by journalists about the statements of the Head of State of Brazil on the war in Ukraine on the sidelines of a ceremony at the National Defense Institute (IDN) in Lisbon, presenting the new Action Plan for the Professionalization of the Military Service .
“I think we agree on several aspects and this is also a great opportunity to explain to President Lula that we are not giving Ukraine weapons to support aggression, but rather to support resistance to aggression,” he replied. careers.
The official emphasized that “this is the Portuguese position” and added: “I think that the dialogue we are about to have will precisely allow the clarification and clarification of mutual positions”.
This Tuesday, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stressed that he condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine while defending peace after being criticized by the United States and the European Union for his statements.
The Prime Minister, António Costa, had already downplayed the Brazilian President’s views on the war in Ukraine, arguing that relations between Portugal and Brazil have always been above differences in foreign policy and that there are also differences between brothers.
The day before, the Portuguese head of state recalled Brazil’s positions at the UN on the war in Ukraine until February, with Lula already president, “alongside Portugal, the EU, the US, NATO, against the Russian Federation”.
Talking to journalists, on the sidelines of the Pessoa Award ceremony, at Culturgest, in Lisbon, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa questioned whether Brazil had changed its position, stressing that Portugal had not changed, but had already downplayed foreign policy differences.
The President of the Republic argued that the state visit that Lula da Silva will pay to Portugal from April 22 to 25 “has nothing to do with the position on Ukraine, nor with internal controversies”, and denied any regret. inviting his counterpart: “No, I didn’t regret anything”.
On April 25, the Assembly of the Republic will hold a welcome session for Lula da Silva at 10 a.m., with a speech by the Brazilian President, followed at 11:30 a.m. by the solemn session to mark the 49th. 1st anniversary of the 1974 revolution in Portugal.
Source: DN
