The President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva decided not to go to the Global Peace Summit, which is to be held on June 15-16 in Switzerland.
This is reported by CNN Brasil with reference to sources.
The Swiss government invited Lula during a personal meeting between the countryʼs Chancellor Ignacio Cassis and the Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira on April 30.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky also invited Lula to participate in the summit.
A source close to Minister Vieira told CNN that Chancellor Cassis was very insistent on the presence of the Brazilian president at the meeting, recognizing the importance not only of Brazil but also of its influence among developing countries.
According to Brazilian diplomatic sources, Lula and Vieira met this week and decided that the president would not lead the countryʼs delegation to the summit. However, it has not yet been decided who will fill this role.
According to Lula and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, the Brazilian leader "does not make sense to participate in a summit in which the two parties in conflict do not participate."
Brazilian diplomacy has always insisted on the need for peace talks, but sees no sense in a meeting without the participation of the Russians.
Global Peace Summit
The first Global Peace Summit for Ukraine, which will be held on June 15-16 in the Swiss city of Bürgenstock.
Switzerland has invited more than 160 delegations from all over the world to the summit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Switzerland believes that different views on the path to peace in Ukraine are vital, so the participation of a wide range of states and their contribution to the discussion will be crucial to achieving these goals.
The Presidentʼs Office added that the summit will be devoted to the development of a framework to stimulate the future peace process.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba believes that it makes no sense to invite Russia to the Peace Summit in Switzerland, as it cannot be guaranteed that it will act in good faith. The Swiss government stated that "at this stage" they do not plan to invite Russia, but Russiaʼs participation is considered mandatory for achieving peace.
The Presidentʼs Office noted that the peace summit will produce a joint negotiating position that will be handed over to the Russians.