Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Saturday made a plea for an finish to the battle in Ukraine for the sake of world concord throughout a go to to Portugal.
"I'm completely sure that we'll discover a much better end result for the world if we handle to discover a technique to make peace," Lula mentioned in a joint information briefing alongside Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
"This conflict should not have began, Russia should not have invaded but it surely did. The very fact is that it occurred. So as an alternative of selecting sides I need to select a 3rd method, the development of peace," Lula added.
Lula irritated leaders within the EU and america final weekend by stating that Ukraine and Russia had each chosen to go to conflict and that Western army assist was fueling the battle.
The Brazilian chief has additionally angered Ukraine by saying Kyiv shares the blame for the conflict.
Brazil has not joined Western nations in imposing sanctions on Moscow or supplying ammunition to Kyiv. Ukrainians residing in Portugal demonstrated their anger at Lula and his go to by holding a protest close to the Brazillian embassy to Portugal in Lisbon on Saturday.
Sousa obtained Lula and Brazilian first woman Rosangela da Silva in an official ceremony on the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon earlier on Saturday. Afterwards, the 2 leaders held a personal assembly on the Presidential palace.
The Brazilian chief's go to comes as he seems to be to strengthen ties together with his nation's pure associate within the European Union. The veteran left-winger is in search of to revive his nation's diplomatic ties after 4 years of relative isolation below his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.
The journey is Lula's first to a European nation since he defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and received a 3rd non-consecutive time period in October.
Whereas in Portugal, the left-wing chief goals to safe a few dozen agreements on commerce and migration.
Lula has proposed that a group of countries together with Brazil and China mediate a peaceable decision to the conflict.