The crisis has reached a “point of maturity” and can be resolved through talks, the Brazilian president has said
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said the time is right to end the Ukraine conflict, arguing that the fighting between Moscow and Kiev has reached a “point of maturity.” He called on the world powers to support renewed peace efforts.
Lula made the remarks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after meeting with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, which began on Sunday.
“The war is at its point of maturity, because, you see, it’s already been three years of war,” Lula told reporters. “Trump and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin already know what they want.”
Lula, who has long advocated for peace talks and insisted that Western weapons supplies to Kiev only serve to fuel the conflict, added he had not yet shared his views with Trump, but believes the global powers are able to bring the fighting to an end.
“What’s missing is putting this on the negotiating table. And I think we’re getting to the point of ending this war,” he said.
Moscow has said it seeks a lasting settlement to the conflict, now in its fourth year, by addressing the root causes rather than pursuing a temporary pause. Kiev and its Western backers, however, have repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire – which Russia says would allow Ukraine to regroup and rearm.
Trump has recently called for an immediate halt to the hostilities along the current front lines, urging Moscow and Kiev to “leave it the way it is right now” and negotiate “something later on.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia values Trump’s efforts to settle the conflict as soon as possible, but nevertheless believes there is no quick fix. He added that peace talks remain on hold as Kiev and its European backers show no interest in resuming them.
Earlier this month, Putin and Trump agreed to hold a meeting in the Hungarian capital, Budapest. Trump later announced that the meeting is postponed. Putin confirmed the delay, noting that the proposal was initially made by the American side, and that it would have been a mistake to proceed without the proper preparation.
Peskov said both leaders still consider the summit postponed rather than canceled, as neither “wants to meet for the sake of a meeting.” Further work is needed before the talks can take place, he added.
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