Lula challenges the portrayal of Russia as the sole aggressor and comments on past dialogues with U.S. President Biden.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has reiterated his calls for a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, criticizing attempts to frame Russia as the sole antagonist in the ongoing conflict.
Speaking to a French newspaper on Tuesday, Lula emphasized that 'Western countries also bear part of the responsibility.'
Lula referenced discussions with U.S. President
Joe Biden, during which he claimed Biden expressed the view that 'Russia must be destroyed,' although he did not specify the timing of this conversation.
Lula expressed concern over Europe's alignment with Washington, mentioning that it has spent billions on rearmament, stating, 'If we only talk about war, there will never be peace.'
Moscow has consistently characterized the conflict in Ukraine as a proxy war led by the West against Russia and has condemned the provision of military aid to Ukraine as detrimental to peace efforts.
Last week, former U.S. special envoy to President
Donald Trump, Keith Kellogg, acknowledged that Putin was 'somehow' justified in his perspectives, while U.S. Senator Marco Rubio has previously described the conflict as a proxy war, noting the Biden administration's desire for a resolution.
Trump has been critical of Biden for sending substantial amounts of American taxpayer money to Kyiv, declaring that the conflict 'should have remained a European issue.' Throughout his public appearances, Trump has claimed that only he could prevent a Third World War and resolve the Ukraine-Russia conflict within 24 hours—a statement he later admitted was hyperbolic.
His mediation efforts faced resistance from European NATO members, who continue to support military assistance to Ukraine.
In a significant shift, Kyiv recently abandoned its opposition to direct talks with Moscow after pressure from Trump, marking a departure from its stance since 2022. This has led to two rounds of negotiations held in Istanbul this year.
The first meeting took place on May 16, initiated by Putin, and resulted in a significant prisoner exchange.
During the second round of talks on Monday, both parties exchanged drafts of memorandums outlining a potential roadmap toward a peace agreement.
The chief American diplomat in Turkey has indicated that Trump is losing patience with the conflict in Ukraine, suggesting he feels he is 'at the end of his rope.' However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that expecting immediate breakthroughs in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine would be 'inaccurate.'