Brazil's Lula Declined German Request for Weapons 'to kill Russians'
The president has emphasized that the only way to achieve peace in the Ukraine conflict is through negotiations. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has rejected German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's proposal to buy arms for Ukraine, asserting that he would not sell weapons “to kill Russians” or anyone else.
During a joint media conference with Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro on Wednesday, Lula reaffirmed Brazil's neutral position regarding the ongoing conflict between Kiev and Moscow.
Germany has been a significant supporter of Ukraine, providing billions in military assistance. Lula recalled Scholz's visit to Brazil in January 2023, where the German Chancellor sought to garner support for Ukraine in South America and requested cannons for use in the conflict.
“I told my friend Olaf Scholz: ‘I will not sell weapons to kill a Russian, to kill anyone. So, I want to apologize, but Brazil will not sell the weapons you need because I want peace, and if I want peace, I cannot fuel the war. We want peace between Russia and Ukraine. Now, this is only possible if both are at the negotiating table’,” Lula stated.
Lula has consistently called for negotiations to resolve the conflict, arguing that providing arms would only worsen the situation and undermine chances for a peaceful resolution.
In May, Brazil and China jointly presented a six-point plan aimed at settling the Ukraine conflict, emphasizing that “dialogue and negotiation” is the only “viable way out of the crisis.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky characterized this proposal as “just a political statement” and accused Lula and China of colluding with Russia.
In response, Lula advised Ukraine to consider Brazil’s perspective on pursuing peace. “Those who want to talk to us now could have talked to us before the war had started,” he remarked.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira convened to discuss addressing the root causes of the Ukraine conflict, as well as this week’s Russian-US discussions in Riyadh, according to Russia's foreign ministry. They spoke on the sidelines of a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, and also covered future high-level meetings and plans for cooperation between Moscow and Brasília, particularly within the BRICS framework.
Additionally, Lula accepted an invitation to Moscow to participate in the 80th anniversary celebrations of Victory in World War II on May 9.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
During a joint media conference with Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro on Wednesday, Lula reaffirmed Brazil's neutral position regarding the ongoing conflict between Kiev and Moscow.
Germany has been a significant supporter of Ukraine, providing billions in military assistance. Lula recalled Scholz's visit to Brazil in January 2023, where the German Chancellor sought to garner support for Ukraine in South America and requested cannons for use in the conflict.
“I told my friend Olaf Scholz: ‘I will not sell weapons to kill a Russian, to kill anyone. So, I want to apologize, but Brazil will not sell the weapons you need because I want peace, and if I want peace, I cannot fuel the war. We want peace between Russia and Ukraine. Now, this is only possible if both are at the negotiating table’,” Lula stated.
Lula has consistently called for negotiations to resolve the conflict, arguing that providing arms would only worsen the situation and undermine chances for a peaceful resolution.
In May, Brazil and China jointly presented a six-point plan aimed at settling the Ukraine conflict, emphasizing that “dialogue and negotiation” is the only “viable way out of the crisis.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky characterized this proposal as “just a political statement” and accused Lula and China of colluding with Russia.
In response, Lula advised Ukraine to consider Brazil’s perspective on pursuing peace. “Those who want to talk to us now could have talked to us before the war had started,” he remarked.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira convened to discuss addressing the root causes of the Ukraine conflict, as well as this week’s Russian-US discussions in Riyadh, according to Russia's foreign ministry. They spoke on the sidelines of a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, and also covered future high-level meetings and plans for cooperation between Moscow and Brasília, particularly within the BRICS framework.
Additionally, Lula accepted an invitation to Moscow to participate in the 80th anniversary celebrations of Victory in World War II on May 9.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
