Lula suggests group of nations to negotiate peace for Ukraine, Russia

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva advocated the creation of a group of countries aimed at discussing ways to end the war in Ukraine. The proposal was made after a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the Planalto presidential palace, in Brasília, on Monday (Jan. 30).

“What we have to do is form a group strong enough to be respected at a negotiating table—and sit down with both sides,” the president said.

Lula discussed the participation of countries like India, Indonesia, and China in this process. “Our Chinese friends play a crucial role. It’s time for China to roll up their sleeves,” he added. The president also mentioned the efforts made to overcome the economic crisis in 2008, when the G20 was created.

“We must create another organism—the same way we created the G20, when the economic crisis happened in 2008. We want to propose a G20 to put an end to the Russia–Ukraine conflict.” Lula pledged to bring the idea to US President Joe Biden when he visits the US in February, as well as to Chinese president Xi Jinping in March, when he visits China.

Armament

The Brazilian president confirmed he denied sending ammunition for war tanks to Ukraine as he does not agree with the country’s conflict with Russia. The request was made last week by the German government, which in turn has directly helped Ukraine with armament.

“Brazil has no interest in sending the ammunition to be used in the war between Ukraine and Russia. Brazil is a country of peace, our last dispute was in the Paraguayan war (1864–70). Brazil has no desire to participate, even indirectly.”

On the German side, Scholz said the war is a violation of international law and once again condemned Russia. “This war is not a European issue. It concerns all of us. It is a blatant violation of international rights and the international order we have jointly agreed upon. No one can tamper with borders in a violent way. Those are traditions that belong in the past.”

Global governance

During the bilateral meeting, Lula talked about the proposal to create a group of countries formed by Brazil, Germany, Japan, and India to claim a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. He criticized the way geopolitical governance is currently designed.

“What we want is to say loud and clear is that the UN today no longer finds itself in the geopolitics of 1945, when it was created. We want the UN Security Council to have strength, to have more representation, that it can speak a language that the world needs. We’ll be able to avoid such wars once we have a strong UN.”