The government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), which was the target of criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, was invited this Monday (11) to visit the country to try to advance an agreement to “achieve a comprehensive peace, fair and lasting”.
The invitation was made to Minister Mauro Vieira (Foreign Affairs) by his counterpart Andrii Sibiga during an afternoon phone call, in parallel with the delivery of new credentials to the Brazilian ambassador in Kiev, Rafael de Mello Vidal.
“As part of our regular dialogue, I spoke with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Mauro Vieira, about our bilateral cooperation and efforts to achieve a comprehensive, fair and lasting peace,” Sibiga said via social media.
The Ukrainian government stated that it understands Brazil’s effort to mediate the search for a peaceful solution to the conflict with Russia, together with the Chinese government, which has a closer relationship with Vladimir Putin. Vidal stated that Zelensky recognized “the Brazilian government’s commitment to leaving its comfort zone to find a way out, not folding its arms”.
“A moment of better communication is being created. Ukraine understands the Lula government’s commitment. And the Brazilian government understands the sensitive areas for Ukraine, especially the assertion of territorial integrity and security guarantees. Brazil at the UN has always positioned itself against colonialism and imperialism”, said the ambassador in an interview with Folha de S. Paulo.
Still according to him, the Ukrainian leader also recognized that Brazil in the Brics group can reach a relationship with Putin “that many cannot”. “It is an asset that Brazil can offer for peace”, he added.
In a recent moment, Zelensky criticized Lula for not vehemently condemning the Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory, and that the Brazilian president uses “political rhetoric” when preaching neutrality.
“It’s not honest talk. It is not honest with us or with the Brazilian people. Because everyone knows who started this war”, said Zelensky in an interview with the newspaper The Globe.
However, after almost three months, Rafael de Mello Vidal says that Brazilian diplomacy has been maintaining contact with both sides of the conflict to facilitate a negotiation process. “It is a pre-plan, a series of measures of mutual trust to guarantee a framework for negotiations”, he pointed out.
He also stated that it is still too early to know how the conflict between Russia and Ukraine will evolve with the election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States. The Republican has repeatedly said that he can end the war, but without signaling how and under what conditions between the two sides.
