Disappointing Europe and the United States, due to his recent move to Russia and China, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva anticipated his departure this Thursday for his European tour, where must manifest on war between Kiev and Moscow and another controversial topic: the EU-Mercosur agreement.
The press office of Palazzo Planalto announced that the president will embark on Thursday evening, at 10 pm local time, for Portugal, the first destination of his journey, which includes a visit to Spain.
Initially, Lula was set to leave Brasilia on Friday for Lisbon.
Government sources said he will defend peace in Ukraine, but with a speech less “radical” which he adopted on his recent tour of China and the UAE, where he made statements that have been questioned by the EU and the US, O Globo newspaper reported.
Lula will be received next Saturday by the Portuguese president, Marcelo Rebelo
The president is expected to land on April 25 in Spain, where he will meet the head of government, Pedro Sánchez.
What did Lula say?
During his trip to China and the UAE in mid-April, Lula said the United States must stop “inciting war” in Ukraine.
“The United States must stop encouraging war and start talking about peace, the European Union must start talking about peace,” he said.
He also suggested that Ukraine hand over Crimea to the Russians to end the war; something Kiev responded to with thick ammunition. The Brazilian put Kyiv in the place of the aggressor when in reality it is the invaded country.
The spokesman of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Oleg Nikolenko, said that Ukraine is the first to be interested in ending the war, that he observes Lula’s efforts “with interest” and is confident that he can pay a visit that will allow him a direct contact.
However, much more critically, he added that Lula puts “victim and aggressor on the same level” and for attacking Ukraine’s allies who help it “protect itself from murderous aggression.”
The Brazilian press itself condemned Lula’s pro-Russian stance and called him naïve and megalomaniac.
O Globo said that “after taking an inappropriate pro-Russia stance in the war with Ukraine, Brazil didhe lost completely the ability to participate in a pro-peace group of countries.
Folha de Sao Paulo, in turn, warns against a “risky diplomacy” with Lula assuming “an unnecessary political cost by aligning himself with Beijing and Moscow”.
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Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.