The president of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, and that of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Europa Press / EFE
Presidents Volodimir Zelenski, of Ukraine, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, of Brazil, spoke for the first time on Thursday.
During their meeting by videoconference, they have addressed "war and the search for peace", according to a note from the Presidency of the South American country.
The remote meeting takes place two months after Lula came to power and the day after his Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in the framework of the G20 meeting that is held in New Delhi.
Lavrov has confirmed that he will visit Brasilia in April.
Shortly before the Russian invasion turned one year old on the 24th, Lula refused to give Germany permission to deliver Brazilian ammunition to kyiv.
And he is also campaigning to promote a mediation effort carried out by countries that, like Brazil, are not directly involved in the dispute.
In parallel, the Ukrainian president wants the help of the Brazilian to obtain the support of the Latin American governments in the war with Russia.
Brazil has condemned the invasion but prefers to remain neutral in the conflict, like its neighbors and like the previous president, Jair Bolsonaro, who visited Moscow days before Vladimir Putin started the war.
Lula reminded Zelenski that last week he voted in favor of the UN resolution on the war because "Brazil defends the territorial integrity of Ukraine."
Despite condemning the invasion, he has not joined Western sanctions against Moscow, a majority position in the so-called global south.
During the conversation between the presidents, Zelenski has invited Lula to visit his country after remembering that he was there both in his first and second.
For his part, the Brazilian reiterated "his willingness to participate in any effort to bring together a group of countries that is capable of dialogue with both sides to promote peace."
Lula hoped to be able to solidify the idea a little more during the next official trip that he plans to make to Beijing at the end of the month.
In any case, the Chinese authorities have presented their own peace initiative.
Lula's Brazil has also irritated the Americans these days by authorizing the docking of two Iranian warships in Rio de Janeiro, against their requests.
The Israeli government has criticized the presence of the ships in Brazil as "dangerous" and "regrettable."
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