Ukraine to deem Brazilian President’s visit to Russia “big mistake”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed criticism of the possible meeting between Brazilian President Lula da Silva and Russian leader Vladimir Putin at the upcoming BRICS summit scheduled for October in Kazan.

“It’s his decision whether to meet with Putin or not. But it would be a big mistake because we should politically isolate Putin. Putin must realize that he made historical mistakes when he invaded Ukraine and started the war. And when a country’s leader meets with him, it legitimizes Putin. I think it’s a big mistake,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with Brazilian journalists, as reported by CNN.

This was the Ukrainian president’s response to inquiries regarding Lula da Silva’s potential involvement in the BRICS summit, along with the Brazilian leader’s lack of response to multiple invitations from Zelenskyy to visit Ukraine and witness the war’s impacts.

Zelenskyy invited Lula da Silva to participate in the Peace Summit, which will take place in Switzerland in June. “I hope he will come in June to meet with me and the President of Switzerland at the summit. This is the place where we will have the opportunity to talk,” said the President of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian community in Brazil, led by Vitório Sorotiuk, has repeatedly called on President Lula da Silva not to support ties with Putin. In particular, last January, the Ukrainian World Congress and the Ukrainian-Brazilian Central Representation (UBCR) sent an official letter to the Brazilian leader urging Brazil to strengthen its political and diplomatic support for Ukraine. Later, Lula da Silva condemned Russia’s war against Ukraine for the first time.

The community also called on the Brazilian government to arrest Russian President Putin if he visits the country. Ukrainians organized protests and appealed to Lula da Silva not to betray their hopes and to support Ukraine.

Earlier, Vitório Sorotiuk stated that in Brazil, many people do not know the true history of Russia and Ukraine. There are no informational resources, such as books, about Ukraine’s past.