Instead of continuing to corner Vladimir Putin, a third way to negotiate an end to the Russian war in Ukraine is taking shape, with Brazil as the primary country in his appeasement strategy. New Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has already sent Moscow his own peace plan, which includes major concessions to Ukrainians, notably the final resignation of the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014.
It’s something neither Ukraine nor its allies in Washington want to hear now, but Lula is exploiting a certain international cynicism about the consequences of the conflict, such as rising fuel prices and inflation, to drum up support for his plan. China.. During a visit to Beijing this week (which he had to cancel a few days ago as a result of pneumonia), Lula will propose that he press President Xi Jinping to start dialogue.
In a press conference in Brasilia last Thursday, Lula said: “We do not agree with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.” But I believe that Ukraine and Russia are waiting for someone outside to say: let’s sit down and talk. Lula pointed out that someone is China because its tensions with the United States give it an “extraordinary ability to talk.”
According to Lula’s group, their aim is to create a mediation group that includes Brazil, China, India and Indonesia. During his visit to the US in February, Lula brought his peace plan to the White House, but Washington did not believe it was appropriate to put the Russian occupiers and the Ukrainian occupiers on the same negotiating plane.
Reluctantly, Joe Biden waded into the conflict, and he, along with his NATO allies, has sent $50 billion in security aid to Ukraine, including nearly 700 tanks, more than 1,000 artillery systems, and more than two million rounds of artillery ammunition. 50 advanced multiple missile rocket systems, and anti-ship and air defense systems.
According to Lula’s group, their aim is to create a mediation group that includes Brazil, China, India and Indonesia.
China’s friendship is intense. Xi was met on Thursday by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has sought to include the communist regime in an international campaign to pressure Putin, who has failed to win the lopsided conflict but has been steadfastly opposed by Ukrainians. The Chinese president has given no sign of changing his official position, which says both have “legitimate security concerns” and refuses to distinguish between attackers and victims.
Condemnation of Russia reduced
A recent report by the Economist Intelligence Unit Consultancy found that over the past year, the number of countries openly condemning Russia for its aggression in Ukraine fell from 131 to 122, with some emerging economies moving toward neutrality. The number of neutral countries increased from 32 to 35, representing 31% of the world’s population, and some formerly US-aligned countries, such as Colombia, Turkey and Qatar, have moved into this category as “their governments seek to gain economic benefits by cooperating with both parties,” the report says.
And according to the report, the number of countries that openly support Russia has increased from 29 to 35. China remains the most important country in this category, but other developing countries (especially South Africa, Mali and Burkina Faso) have also become part of this group, accounting for 33% of the world’s population. These trends highlight Russia’s growing influence in Africa,” says the report, which identifies Brazil, along with India, as one of the largest countries in the neutral bloc.
Already in his first two terms, Lula sought to become a leading player in international diplomacy, using his rapprochement with Western powers and emerging economies, as well as with the dictatorships of China, Iran and Cuba. In fact, Lula was the first to float the idea of a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, which was finally signed in 2015. Once back in power, the Brazilian president resumed his campaign for Brazil. Japan wants a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
The rise of Dilma Rousseff
At the center of this mediation, Lula challenged his successor, Dilma Rousseff, in 2016 to become president of the BRICS Bank, a multilateral investment body made up of the governments of Russia, China and India. , South Africa and Brazil, located in Shanghai.
Lula’s efforts come as consensus widens in the United States about multimillion-dollar aid to Ukraine. There are few Republicans who believe that Biden has been too generous with the Ukrainians and that they should take care of their own security.
In addition to Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a conservative intent on winning anything but his party’s presidential nomination, described the Russia-Ukraine conflict as “merely a territorial dispute.” Trump, for his part, has repeatedly reiterated that he will hold direct talks with Putin, whom he respects and respects. will conduct
