Brazil’s Lula says no use saying ‘who is right’ in Russia-Ukraine conflict

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticized the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Wednesday, but said there was “no use now in saying who is right” in the conflict.

His comments came after he set off a storm among Western allies by stating earlier this month that they were prolonging the fighting by supplying arms to Ukraine.

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“No one can doubt that Brazilians condemn Russia’s territorial violation of Ukraine. The mistake happened and the war started,” he said during an official visit to Spain.

“There is no use now in saying who is right, who is wrong. What we have to do now is stop the war,” he added at a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

“No one in the world is talking about peace except for me, it is like being alone screaming in the desert.”

Visiting China earlier this month, Lula said Washington should stop “encouraging” the war, and that the United States and European Union “need to start talking about peace.”

He has also angered Ukraine in recent days by suggesting it should agree to give up the Crimea peninsula, which Russia forcefully annexed in 2014 in a prelude to its invasion of Ukraine last year.

His comments were criticized by Europe, Ukraine and the United States, with Washington accusing him of “parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda.”

Sanchez said it was important to stress that the conflict started when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

“In this war there is an aggressor and a victim of an attack,” he said, adding “the aggressor is” Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Lula arrived in Madrid on Tuesday afternoon from Lisbon.

This is his first trip to Europe since he returned to office in January after beating far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in elections last year.

The veteran leftist returned to the presidency vowing “Brazil is back” on the international stage after four years of relative isolation under Bolsonaro.

Seeking to revive Brazil’s role as a deal-maker and go-between, he has vowed to cultivate friendly ties with all countries, and resisted taking sides with either the United States and Europe, on one hand, or China and Russia, on the other.

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