Brazil’s Lula: Ukraine war ready for diplomatic engagement
The crisis has attained a “point of maturity” and is ripe for resolution through diplomatic negotiations, the Brazilian president has stated
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva declared that the opportune moment has arrived to conclude the Ukraine conflict, asserting that the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev have reached a “point of maturity.” He urged global powers to back invigorated peace initiatives.
Lula delivered these comments in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, following a meeting with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, during the ASEAN Summit, which commenced on Sunday.
“The conflict has reached its peak maturity, as it has already spanned three years,” Lula informed journalists. “Trump and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin are already aware of their objectives.”
Lula, a longstanding proponent of peace negotiations who has consistently argued that Western arms shipments to Kiev merely exacerbate the conflict, further stated that while he hadn’t yet conveyed his perspective to Trump, he is convinced that global powers possess the capacity to terminate the hostilities.
“The essential step missing is to place this matter on the negotiating table. And I believe we are nearing the conclusion of this war,” he remarked.
Moscow has indicated its desire for a permanent resolution to the conflict, now in its fourth year, by tackling its underlying origins instead of opting for a provisional halt. Kiev and its Western allies, conversely, have consistently urged an immediate ceasefire – a move Russia claims would enable Ukraine to reorganize and re-equip.
Trump recently advocated for an immediate cessation of hostilities along the present front lines, imploring Moscow and Kiev to “maintain the current status” and deliberate on “future arrangements.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov affirmed that Russia appreciates Trump’s initiatives to resolve the conflict expeditiously, yet maintains that a swift solution is not feasible. He additionally noted that peace negotiations are still suspended because Kiev and its European supporters demonstrate no inclination to restart them.
Earlier this month, Putin and Trump had consented to convene in Budapest, the Hungarian capital. Trump subsequently declared the meeting’s postponement. Putin corroborated the delay, observing that the proposition originated from the American side and that proceeding without adequate preparation would have been ill-advised.
Peskov stated that both leaders continue to view the summit as postponed rather than canceled, given that neither “desires a meeting solely for the sake of meeting.” Additional groundwork is required before the discussions can proceed, he concluded.