Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s planned visit to Russia for Victory Day is heightening tensions with Kyiv, as Ukrainian officials see it as another sign of support for Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine has formally invited President Lula to visit Kyiv ahead of the May 9 event in Moscow, although the trip is not currently included in his official plans, Caliber.Az reports per Brazilian media.
Thus, Ukraine has accused Brazil of stalling diplomatic engagement over the war with Russia. The latest dispute centres on an invitation extended by Ukraine’s ambassador to Brazil, Andrii Melnyk, on 28 April. Ukrainian officials claim Brazil has ignored months of outreach, including six letters from President Zelenskyy between 2023 and 2024, offering meetings and summit invitations—none of which were answered.
A senior Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously, called Brazil’s conduct a “disgusting and shameful game,” alleging that a formal invitation from Zelenskyy has been sitting on President Lula’s desk for 20 months. “We’re not sending a new one every week,” the official said. “Lula honours Russian soldiers committing war crimes while we defend our country. It’s a disgrace.”
Brazilian diplomats say protocol requires a formal written invitation and claim they are still open to talks. They confirmed Lula’s attempts to arrange a call with Zelenskyy in March and April, which Ukraine rejected, reportedly seeing them as cover for Lula’s planned visit to Moscow. A Ukrainian diplomat dismissed the move as “a grotesque theatre of cynicism.”
Lula’s advisor, Celso Amorim, said the visit to Russia is part of a peace effort. Kyiv strongly rejected this, calling it Orwellian to label attendance at a military parade led by a “war criminal” as a peace mission.
Brazil, along with China, previously promoted a “Friends of Peace” plan, which Zelenskyy dismissed in 2024 as “destructive” and biased toward Russia—claims Brazil denies.
By Aghakazim Guliyev
Source: caliber.az
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