Russia’s Lavrov thanks Brazil for efforts to resolve Ukraine war

On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hailed Brazil for its efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict before meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose war rhetoric have alarmed Washington.

After a meeting in Brasilia, Lavrov and Brazilian Foreign Relations Minister Mauro Vieira briefed journalists on efforts to increase beef exports to Russia and secure fertilizer imports for Brazilian farmers.

Lula will meet with Lavrov on Monday to discuss assembling a peacekeeping group of nations not involved in the Russia-Ukraine confrontation.

Lula repeated his appeal for armament bans after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping over the weekend.

“The United States needs to stop encouraging war and start talking about peace,” Lula told state TV journalists.

“We are trying to build a group of countries without any involvement in the war, that don’t want the war and defend world peace to have a discussion with both Russia and Ukraine,” he told journalists separately.

We must also talk to the US and EU. We must persuade them to seek peace.”

Emmanuel Macron is the only Western leader to support the plan.

Kyiv, Washington, and other allies argue a ceasefire now would leave Russia in control of territory it invaded, and Ukraine has a right to seek Western armaments to expel invaders.

Lula’s words went unanswered by the White House and State Department.

However, Republican House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul called Lula’s remarks “wrong and reckless”.

“Putin, and Putin alone, is responsible for the unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine,” McCaul added.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, the US and EU have supplied guns and other aid. Lula declined Germany’s request for armaments.