In their joint press conference following his meeting in Brasilia with EU President Ursula von der Leyen June 12, President Inácio Lula da Silva raised the question of the war which has “returned to the heart of Europe,” and “reflects all the complexities of the challenges of the time in which we live.” Lula reported that he had reminded the EU President that Brazil had voted at the UN to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but he had also “reiterated that there must be a path to peace, as further escalation and the use of force carries enormous risks. There is no military solution to this conflict.”
He pointedly instructed her: “We need more diplomacy in response to invasions of Ukraine, Palestine, or Yemen. The horrors of war and the suffering of people cannot be solved in a selective way, the fundamental principles of international law must be valid for everyone.”
