Brazil’s President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has proposed joint mediation for the Russian war in Ukraine with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and China. Lula accused the United States and Europe of prolonging the conflict and called for a “political G20” to end the war.
He suggested that a group of countries be formed, styled after the G20 group of advanced economies, to mediate and establish peace. Lula said he had also discussed his initiative with the United States (US) President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and the leaders of South American countries.
During his official visit to China and the UAE, Lula said he spoke to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Chinese President Xi Jinping about forming a group of countries to mediate.
Lula accused Washington of “encouraging” the war by supplying weapons to Ukraine while also calling for a new currency for transactions between the BRICS countries – Brazil, India, Russia, China, and South Africa.
Lula’s visit to China and the UAE came after he returned for a third term in office and a meeting with US President Joe Biden in February. Despite his comments about the US, Lula is seeking closer ties with Washington.
Brazil sign deals with China and UAE
His delegation signed deals worth $10 billion in China, and Brazil and the UAE announced a series of deals, including an investment of up to $2.5 billion for a biodiesel project by the UAE-controlled Mataripe refinery in Brazil.
Unlike Western powers, China and Brazil have not imposed sanctions against Moscow over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The United Arab Emirates has maintained a neutral stance in the conflict.
Lula also criticized the dollar’s dominance in global trade and accused Europe and the US of continuing to contribute to the war.
Lula said he had discussed his initiative with leaders who prefer to talk about peace than war and believes that the group of countries he proposed will successfully end the war and establish peace.
