Lula da Silva admitted this Saturday that Russia started “a war against Ukraine”, condemning the “violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity” and defending “a negotiated political solution to the conflict”.
“While we defend the territorial integrity of Ukraine, we stand for a negotiated political solution to the conflict. We urgently need to create a group of countries that will try to come to the table, both with Ukraine and with Russia, to find peace, ”he said at a press conference after a meeting with Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
“We are in a situation in which the war between Russia and Ukraine is affecting humanity (…) and that is why we have to find a group of people who are willing to talk about peace and not war,” he stressed.
For this reason, he added: “I don’t want to please anyone, I want to build a way to put both at the table,” recalling that what seemed impossible happened in World War II.
Lula assured that Brazil condemns “Russia for the occupation and for having harmed the territorial integrity of Ukraine.” “We are not in favor of war, we want peace. Brazil wants to find a way to establish peace between Russia and Ukraine. Brazil does not want to participate in the war”, stressed the Brazilian president.
Now, defended Lula da Silva, “the fact has been created, the war (…) and I want to opt for a third way, which is the construction of peace,” he stressed, assuring that he will not visit either of the two countries until the situation stabilizes.
That is why he said: “I am going to speak with more countries (…) and perhaps one day, which should be close, we will find a way to sit down at the table to talk.”
The Brazilian Minister of State, Márcio Macedo, said this Friday, after a meeting with the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal, that President Lula da Silva has determined that his adviser for International Affairs, Celso Amorim, visit Ukraine, which Lula confirmed this Saturday.
The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, arrived in Lisbon this Friday for an official visit to Portugal, with a busy agenda, which includes the Luso-Brazilian summit that is taking place today at the Belém Cultural Center.
“The trip is part of the relaunch of Brazil’s diplomatic relations with its main partners, as happened with the visit to China, 10 days ago, and to the United States, Argentina and Uruguay at the beginning of this government”, indicated the Brazilian presidency, it’s a statement.
“About 252,000 Brazilians legally reside in Portugal, according to the data. This without counting Brazilians with Portuguese or other European nationality. According to estimates from the Brazilian consular offices in Portugal, the Brazilian community could be between 275,000 and 300,000 people”, recalled the Brazilian. Government, in order to emphasize the importance of this trip, the first to Europe since Lula took office on January 1.
Lula da Silva began today with a welcome ceremony with military honors at Praça do Império, in Lisbon, followed by another brief ceremony inside the Jerónimos Monastery, with the placement of a wreath on the tomb of Luís de Camões, accompanied by the Portuguese President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
A few dozen people have accompanied the different stages of the visit to Belém since dawn, in a demonstration in support of Lula da Silva, but where some protesters critical of the Brazilian president also appeared.
Subsequently, he met his Portuguese counterpart at the Belém Palace, which was followed by a larger meeting of delegations.
Now, he went to lunch with the Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, after which one of the highlights of the program will take place, the XIII Luso-Brazilian Summit.
After the meeting, more than twice as many agreements should be signed than the last one between the two countries in 2016.
The Brazilian government stressed that “the preparation for the meeting began at the end of last year, after the presidential elections”, in October 2022, in which Lula da Silva defeated Jair Bolsonaro.
Last Wednesday, at a press conference at the Itamaraty Palace, in Brasilia, the Secretary for Europe and North America, Ambassador Maria Luisa Escorel de Moraes, explained that memorandums of understanding for the area will also be signed at the Belém Cultural Center . energy, geology and mining, the “mutual recognition of driving titles” between both countries, rights of people with disabilities, a memorandum on tourism, among others.
Today ends with a state dinner hosted by the Portuguese President at the Palácio da Ajuda.
On Sunday, Lula da Silva’s agenda, for now, “is free,” said the Brazilian diplomat.
* News updated at 14:31
Source: TSF
