Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he was “upset” on Monday that he did not meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky one-on-one at the G7 summit.
Mr. Zelensky, who obtained new promises of military equipment as well as diplomatic support from the G7 countries in Hiroshima, Japan, had asked to speak directly with his Brazilian counterpart, very reluctant to condemn the Russian invasion. But the two leaders did not succeed because of their respective overloaded agendas, they justified. A missed appointment which, according to Mr. Zelensky, probably left the Brazilian president “disappointed”.
“Not Disappointed, But Upset”
“I was not disappointed,” Lula replied Monday at a press conference before leaving Japan. “I was upset, because I would like to meet him and discuss the subject,” he continued. “But Mr. Zelensky is a great person. He knows what he’s doing.”
Lula clarified that a meeting with Mr. Zelensky should have taken place on Sunday afternoon, on the last day of the G7. But the Ukrainian president arrived late and his busy schedule prevented them from scheduling a new meeting, he explained.
No Immediate Interest
Lula, however, said he saw no point in meeting Mr Zelensky immediately, believing that neither he nor Vladimir Putin wanted peace. “For the moment, they are both convinced that they will win the war”, he justified. Unlike several Western powers, Brazil has never imposed financial sanctions on Russia or agreed to supply ammunition to Kiev and is trying to position itself, like China and Indonesia, as a mediator.
This article is originally published on 7sur7.be
