Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said a coalition of neutral states must come together to help mediate a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine.
His remarks come after Russian President Vladimir Putin sparked outrage among Western allies over the weekend by claiming that they were extending the battle by supplying armaments to Ukraine.
Mr.Lula has positioned himself as a peace mediator to resolve the war, which began in February 2022 when Russia invaded the neighbouring country.
His proposal, based on Brazil’s legacy of non-intervention and neutrality, calls for a group of non-combatant states to hold discussions with both Russia and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Lula da Silva in Brasilia on Monday and thanked him for his peace efforts, remarking that Brazil and Russia shared views on the year-old conflict in Ukraine..
On the other hand, Ukraine has criticized Lula’s proposal and invited the Brazilian president to the war-torn country to see for himself the consequences of the Russian military operations.