The speech by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), this Wednesday (23), at the BRICS Leaders’ Summit, tried to show the country’s independence in relation to the conflict in Ukraine.
In a carefully written text, the president simultaneously criticized and sent messages to the United States, the West, the UN and also Russia.
See: Analysis: Lula defends Brics expansion and common currency at event
First, by choosing to speak on the topic minutes before a similar speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazil’s partner in the Brics, Lula wanted to show the West that the topic is not taboo in the group and that he has an independent opinion on the conflict. .
“We cannot avoid dealing with today’s main conflict, which takes place in Ukraine and has global effects. Brazil has a historic position of defending sovereignty, territorial integrity and all the purposes and principles of the United Nations”, he highlighted.
This phrase was understood as a criticism of Russia, noting that Brazil was the only Brics country that voted against the Russian invasion in the voting on the war that took place at the UN. China, India and South Africa abstained.
Very cleverly, however, Lula avoided commenting on the causes of the conflict, focusing much more on the consequences – especially in poor countries and the developing world.
By doing so, the Brazilian president reduced potential friction with Putin, a partner in the bloc.
He also made a gesture that could even be seen as positive by the Kremlin, calling for an immediate ceasefire, followed by a peace talk. This proposal, which Kiev does not accept at all, would freeze the status of the war and keep Russian soldiers in the nearly 20% of Ukraine’s territory.
Speaking right after Lula, President Putin defended Russia’s position and blamed the West, once again, for the conflict.
“Our actions in Ukraine are for one thing only: to end the war launched by the West against the people of Donbass,” he said. “We are grateful to our colleagues in the BRICS who have taken active steps in trying to put an end to this situation, to reach a just solution through peaceful means,” he added.
See: We went back to the “obsolete mentality” of the Cold War, says Lula in the Brics
Without naming any country, he adopted a much more critical tone towards the West and international organizations, transferring part of the responsibility to them and stating that the Brics have a different posture.
“In just a few years, we have retreated from a scenario of benign multipolarity to one that reverts to the obsolete mentality of the Cold War and geopolitical competition. This is foolishness that generates great uncertainty and corrodes multilateralism,” she said.
The BRICS countries often blame actions by the United States and its western allies for what they perceive as this “cold war mentality”. China, for example, makes this criticism constantly – repeated precisely at the Brics summit by President Xi Jinping.
Finally, Lula did not waste the opportunity to, once again, criticize the UN, its Security Council and international institutions.
“The war in Ukraine highlights the limitations of the Security Council. The Brics must act as a force for understanding and cooperation. Our willingness is expressed in the contributions of China, South Africa and my own country to the efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine”, he said, honoring the other partners of the bloc.
See: Lula in the Brics: common currency reduces vulnerabilities
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
