Brazil declines to sign declaration at Russia-Ukraine peace summit

On Sunday (Jun. 16), Brazil was among the countries that did not sign the final communique of the Ukraine peace summit. The document calls for the involvement of all parties in negotiations to achieve peace and "reaffirms the territorial integrity" of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the summit to garner international support for his plan to end the war triggered by the Russian invasion.

At a press conference in Italy, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva disclosed that he informed the President of the Swiss Confederation, Viola Amherd, of his decision not to attend the international meeting on Sunday. Lula stated that Brazil will only participate in peace discussions when both sides of the conflict, Ukraine and Russia, are present at the negotiating table. "You can't resolve a conflict by meeting with just one side," he emphasized.

Amid the impasse between the two warring heads of state, Lula mentioned that Brazil, in partnership with China, has already proposed an effective negotiation to resolve the conflict.

"Let's definitely bring Russia and Zelensky to the table and see if we can convince them that peace will yield better results than war. In peace, nobody has to die, and nothing has to be destroyed. There's no need to victimize innocent soldiers, especially young ones, and an agreement can be reached. When both sides are willing, we are ready to discuss," added the president.

No unanimity

At the conclusion of the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland, there was no unanimity among the 101 participating delegations. The final document, which calls for the involvement of "all parties" in the armed conflict to achieve peace, was signed by 84 countries. Among the signatories were leaders from the European Union, the United States, Japan, Argentina, as well as African nations Somalia and Kenya.