RIO DE JANEIRO, January 30. /TASS/. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has declined his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron's request to send military aid to Ukraine, expressing instead a willingness to "actively engage in the search for a peaceful solution," Geneva columnist for Brazilia’s UOL internet portal Jamil Chade wrote on Monday.
Citing sources taking part in an hour-long phone call between the two leaders last Thursday, the journalist notes that Lula da Silva told Macron of "the need to negotiate with Russia in order to conclude a truce." Although Brazil continues to condemn Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine, it is nevertheless not ready to "help in military operations," placing certain responsibility for the situation on NATO, which "in recent years has not contributed to the establishment of trust-based relations with the Kremlin."
Europe does not conceal the fact that through its support for Lula da Silva in light of the January protests in the Brazilian capital against the incumbent government, it expects in return to draw the Brazilian leader's attention to topics of interest to the power centers in Europe, Chade said.
"But it was clear from the conversation that Lula would not take any position on international topics just to please new allies," the author summed up.
As the press service of the Brazilian leader reported earlier, the search for peace between Ukraine and Russia warranted a thorough exchange of views between the presidents. "Lula stressed the need for greater involvement of global leaders" within the UN and G20 to achieve this goal, it reported.