MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula urges Putin to attend peace talks in Istanbul

Lula called Putin during a stopover in Moscow

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva telephoned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. The South American leader made the call during a stopover in Moscow en route back from China to his country.

 Lula encouraged Putin to attend peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine scheduled for Thursday in Istanbul (Turkey), while acknowledging that the negotiations were, in the end, a sovereign decision. The call followed a request from Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga to Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira.

Both leaders had met a week before in the Russian capital for the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II, where Putin expressed openness to peace discussions.

During Wednesday's conversations, Lula underscored Brazil’s commitment to peace, expressed willingness to mediate, and stressed the importance of dialogue. He also offered his country's and China’s cooperation to end the conflict. “The Brazilian president encouraged the Russian president to appear at the negotiation meeting between Russia and Ukraine,” Lula's Office said in a statement.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said last Sunday he was willing to meet in Istanbul with Putin, but the latter's presence remains unconfirmed.

“When I stop in Moscow, I'm going to try to talk to Putin. It costs me nothing to talk and tell him: comrade Putin, go to Istanbul to negotiate,” Lula also said.