original title:
Lula met with Russian and Ukrainian representatives before taking office as Brazilian president: Called on the two countries to end the war
The Paper reporter Nan Boyi
On December 31, 2022 local time, Brazilian President-elect Lula held separate meetings with representatives from Russia and Ukraine before his official inauguration. Lula issued an appeal, hoping that Russia and Ukraine would end the war.
According to a Reuters report on December 31, 2022, Lula announced the news about the above-mentioned meeting on the social platform Twitter. He held separate meetings with the Chairman of the Federation Council of Russia, Valentina Matvienko, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Yulia Svyrydenko.
Photos shared by Lula show that Matviyenko and Sviridenko will represent Russia and Ukraine respectively in Lula’s presidential inauguration. The two will also meet separately with Mauro Vieira, the incoming foreign minister of Brazil’s Lula government.
Lula said on December 31, 2022 that he told Matvienko that Brazil wanted “(to achieve) peace, that all parties find common ground and end the conflict.” Lula also said that Matviyenko provided him with a report on the situation in Russia.
“In Brazil, we have a tradition of defending the integrity of the country. We will talk to anyone who has the possibility of achieving peace.” Lula said when talking with Russian President Vladimir Putin in early December 2022.
Reuters pointed out that Lula tried to send a signal of “Brazil’s return” on the international stage. Lula’s predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, disappointed many Brazilian diplomats during his four-year tenure as Brazil’s president with lax oversight of environmental issues and attacks on Brazil’s electoral system.
According to Reuters, Lula is expected to visit the United States, China, Argentina and other countries after taking office as president. Sources told Reuters that German Chancellor Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron could visit Brazil as soon as January.
According to reports from Brazil’s “Globo” and the CNN Brazil channel, Bolsonaro left Brazil for the United States on the afternoon of December 30, 2022. Lula has been in office for less than 48 hours. Previously, Bolsonaro had repeatedly stated that he would not attend the inauguration of the new president on January 1.