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Brazilian president says he won’t travel to Russia, Ukraine due to conflict

"But I will work in the name of peace," Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 15. /TASS/. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday said he won’t travel to Russia and Ukraine due to the armed conflict.

"I won’t travel to Russia and Ukraine because of the war there, and I need to take care of myself. But I will work in the name of peace," he said at a ceremony that was broadcast on his YouTube channel.

The Brazilian president earlier said the current mediators have nothing to offer to the sides of the conflict in Ukraine and proposed to develop a new international format to create the potential for talks between Moscow and Kiev. He said he was ready to mediate in the event of direct talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

The Brazilian president said on February 10 he would like to visit Beijing to discuss the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Reuters later reported that the visit would take place on March 28.

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