MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Russia-Ukraine War: Argentina signs Bürgenstock Declaration; Brazil does not

Lula chose to skip the convention “because Brazil would only take part in the discussion on peace when the two sides in the conflict were sitting at the table”(Pic AP)

Argentine President Javier Milei joined the list of dignitaries endorsing the Bürgenstock Declaration in favor of peace in Ukraine while Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was among those very few who did not because in his view only negotiations involving both belligerent parties (Ukraine and Russia) were worth considering.

On the other hand, the Libertarian leader expressed his “maximum support to the people of Ukraine and to my friend [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky.”

“We reject any kind of violence and war as an illegitimate mechanism to settle conflicts between nations,” Milei went on. “War can never be the answer to problems that should be settled in the political sphere,” added Milei in his three-minute speech.

“As defenders of liberty, Argentines cannot advocate anything else but peace among peoples and free nations. As I am a fervent believer in the philosophical awareness of liberalism and peace, I make this brief plea today in their defense, since these ideas seem to have gone out of fashion,” the Argentine president went on.

The gathering at the Swiss enclave near Lucerne was held at Zelensky's initiative and endorsed by the European Union (EU). Among the main world leaders attending it were Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak (United Kingdom), Fumio Kishida (Japan), Mark Rutte (Netherlands), Pedro Sánchez (Spain), Alexander De Croo (Belgium), Ulf Kristersson (Sweden), Justin Trudeau (Canada), Mette Frederiksen (Denmark), Presidents Emmanuel Macron (France), Gabriel Boric Font (Chile), Gustavo Petro (Colombia), Stephan Brunner Neibig (Costa Rica), Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona (Dominican Republic), Daniel Noboa (Ecuador), and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (Portugal), as well as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

In response, Russia's Ambassador to Argentina, Dmitry Feoktistov, pointed out that “the rapprochement between Buenos Aires and the military sponsors of Ukraine causes us deep disappointment.” He also pointed out such an endorsement seemed to be in line with the Libertarian administration's growing cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). “In April, Argentina applied for the alliance's global partner status. Frankly, we do not understand how granting this status can improve Argentina's security,” the diplomat said while hoping that the South American country would refrain from interfering in the Ukraine crisis to preserve “the friendly nature of Russian-Argentine relations.”

However, Argentina joined the so-called Ramstein Group, formerly the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group, which backs Kyiv's position against Moscow. “Argentina continues to work for Peace and international stability, coordinating our contribution in the field of humanitarian aid together with the 54 member countries; and continues to defend the central principle of territorial integrity,” Argentina's Defense Minister Luis Petri said while posting pictures on social media alongside his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umyerov.

“We believe that no one has the right to invade another country and here there is clearly an invader, which is Russia, and someone who was invaded and attacked, which is the case of Ukraine,” Milei also explained in a video released on X.

On the other hand, Lula said in a press conference in Italy where he had attended as had Milei the G7 Summit that he had told Swiss President Viola Amherd that he had decided not to attend the Bürgenstock convention because Brazil would only take part in the discussion on peace when the two sides in the conflict were sitting at the table. “You can't have a fight between two sides and think that by meeting with just one, you can solve the problem,” Lula argued.

The PT leader also recalled his administration had signed an understanding with China to jointly broker a peace agreement.

The signatory countries of Sunday's document agreed that the principles of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all states must be safeguarded. In addition, they insisted on the need to keep nuclear facilities safe, secure, and environmentally sound.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last Friday he was willing to discuss peace provided Ukraine pulled out from the four regions annexed by Moscow in 2022: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporijia in addition to dropping any plan to join NATO.

In this scenario, Armenia, Brazil, the Vatican, India, Indonesia, Colombia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, South Africa, Jordan, and Iraq refused to endorse Sunday's declaration blaming Russia for the “large-scale human suffering and destruction.” While Russia was not invited to the conference, other countries not attending the event were Azerbaijan, Belarus, Venezuela, Egypt, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Cuba, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ethiopia.