Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he was "upset" on Monday (May 22nd) that he had not met one-on-one with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky at the G7 summit.
Volodymyr Zelensky, who obtained new promises of military equipment as well as diplomatic support from the G7 countries in Hiroshima, Japan, had asked to converse directly with his Brazilian counterpart, very reluctant to condemn the Russian invasion.
For now, they are both convinced that they will win the war.
Lula, President of Brazil
But the two leaders did not succeed because of their respective agendas too busy, they justified. A missed appointment that, according to Volodymyr Zelensky, probably left the Brazilian president "disappointed". "I was not disappointed," Lula replied Monday at a press conference before leaving Japan. "I was upset because I would like to meet with him and discuss the subject," he continued. "But Volodymyr Zelensky is a great person. He knows what he's doing.
»Lula said a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky should have taken place on Sunday afternoon, the last day of the G7. But the Ukrainian president arrived late and his agenda, too busy, prevented them from scheduling a new appointment, he explained. Lula, however, said he did not see the point of meeting Volodymyr Zelensky immediately, believing that neither he nor Vladimir Putin wanted peace. "C," he justified.
A controversial position
Unlike several Western powers, Brazil has never imposed financial sanctions on Russia or agreed to supply ammunition to Kiev and is trying to position itself, along with China and Indonesia, as a mediator. Lula sparked controversy when he said last month in Beijing that the United States should stop "encouraging war" in Ukraine and that the European Union should "start talking about peace."
Remarks harshly criticized by Washington, which had accused Brazil of "echoing Russian and Chinese propaganda without taking into account the facts". Lula later changed his tone, condemning the Russian invasion, before renewing his criticism on Monday. According to him, US President Joe Biden is sending the following message: "Putin must surrender and pay for what he has completely destroyed." "This message doesn't help," he added.