Volodymyr Zelensky appeared not to be interested in peace negotiations with Russia, according to the President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who expressed his disappointment at not having met him at the G-7 summit on Monday.
Lula has been accused of being soft on Russia over the attack, and Mr. Zelensky, who left the conference in Hiroshima with new diplomatic backing and promises of additional military aid, had requested a private conversation.
Both leaders admitted that scheduling issues prevented them from meeting, which, Mr. Zelensky said, probably left his Brazilian colleague “disappointed”.
“I didn’t feel let down. Before returning from Japan, Lula said at a news conference, “I was disappointed because I’d like to meet with him and resolve the situation.
He added, “But the President of Ukraine is a grown man; he is aware of what he is doing.
Mr. Zelensky and his colleagues were to meet on Sunday afternoon, according to Lula. However, he said that the Ukrainian president was late and that his own agenda was already packed.
At the conference, Mr. Zelensky received overwhelming support from G-7 leaders, including long-desired U.S. approval for access to F-16 fighter jets.
Inviting non-G-7 nations, he also courted them, particularly obtaining the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, to promise to do “anything that we can” to stop the violence.
Considering that neither Zelensky nor Russian President Vladimir Putin looked to want peace, Lula claimed he did not see any value in meeting with them right away.
Brazil, along with additional “neutral” nations like China and Indonesia, has been suggested as a mediator by Lula, who is promoting peace negotiations. However, when he said that the United States was “promoting” the war last month, the seasoned communist came under fire.
After the White House accused him of “parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda,” Lula moderated his tone and said that Brazil criticises the attack by Russia. He claimed that the President of the United States, Joe Biden was telling Putin that he had to “surrender and pay for everything he destroyed.”
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