Brazilian President Lula declined on Friday an invitation to visit St. Petersburg, during a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, after his failed appointment with Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelensky at the G7 summit.
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I thanked (Putin) for his invitation to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum" from June 14 to 17 "and I told him that I could not go to Russia at this time," tweeted Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. "But I reiterated to him that Brazil, along with India, Indonesia and China, is ready to engage with both parties to the conflict with a view to achieving peace," he added.
Attempted mediation
Unlike several Western powers, Brazil has never imposed financial sanctions on Russia or agreed to supply ammunition to Kiev. Brasilia is trying to position itself as a mediator. Lula has sparked controversy by repeatedly claiming that responsibility for the conflict is shared, even though he recently condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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At the end of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, the Brazilian president said he was "upset" not to have spoken one-on-one with Mr. Zelensky. He added, however, that he did not see the point of meeting his Ukrainian counterpart immediately, believing that neither he nor Vladimir Putin wanted peace.
