BUENOS AIRES, May 6. /TASS/. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who will arrive in Moscow to take part in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, has ignored the Ukrainian authorities' requests to visit Kiev before traveling to Russia, the Metropoles newspaper reported, citing sources.
"He ignored the invitation to visit Kiev," an unnamed diplomat told the newspaper.
According to Metropoles, Ukraine has already begun considering options for downgrading diplomatic relations with Brazil.
Earlier, Brazilian chief presidential advisor Celso Amorim said that Lula da Silva intends to serve as an ambassador of peace during his visit to Russia and support initiatives to start talks on settling the conflict.