Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated Wednesday he will prompt Russian President Vladimir Putin to go to possible peace talks with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in the middle of installing thriller over whether the Russian leader would participate in the proposed conference in Turkey.
Putin proposed rebooting direct talks “without prerequisites” on Thursday in Istanbul about the more than three-year war. Zelenskyy then challenged the Kremlin leader to satisfy in Turkey personally.
Lula has actually preserved close ties with Putin in spite of Russia’s intrusion of Ukraine– a position that has actually triggered stress with the Kyiv federal government and raised eyebrows in the West.
Lula was taking a trip to Moscow on Wednesday, where he was because of stay on his method back to Brazil from a main state go to in China.
” When I get to Moscow, I’m going to attempt to speak with Putin. It will not cost me anything to state, ‘Hey pal Putin, go to Istanbul and work out,'” Lula informed reporters in Beijing.
The Kremlin has actually declined to validate who’s going to Turkey and whether it will consist of Putin. Ukrainian governmental advisor Mykhailo Podolyak stated Zelenskyy will sit at the table just with the Russian leader.
The possible conference in between the 2 presidents has actually raised hopes that current magnified pressure by the U.S. and Western European leaders to stop the combating might pay dividends. Those nations have actually threatened Russia with additional sanctions if there is no development.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other American authorities are because of remain in Turkey for the talks.
Lula has actually consistently required peace talks in between the 2 nations. In Might 2024, China and Brazil provided a joint peace strategy that required a peace conference with Russia and Ukraine and no growth of the battleground, however the strategy was dismissed by Zelenskyy.
On Tuesday, Brazil and China launched a joint declaration inviting possible talks. “The federal governments of Brazil and China hope that a direct discussion in between the celebrations can start as quickly as possible, as this is the only method to put an end to the dispute,” a declaration released by Brazil’s foreign affairs ministry stated.
Russia’s state news company, RIA Novosti, reported Wednesday that a Brazilian “unique flight” landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport, which has a terminal where foreign dignitaries generally land.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov would not validate or reject reports that Lula may meet Putin, stating just that the Kremlin will notify the general public if the 2 undoubtedly satisfy.
Russian forces have actually been preparing a fresh military offensive to take full advantage of pressure on Ukraine and reinforce the Kremlin’s working out position in talks, Ukrainian federal government and military experts state.
The Institute for the Research Study of War, a Washington think tank, stated Tuesday that Russia is “trying to extend settlements to draw out extra concessions from the United States and while making extra battleground advances.”
___
Eléonore Hughes in Rio de Janeiro added to this report.
___
Follow AP’s protection of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine