After his talks with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva proposed the establishment of a "peace club" to bring the war in Ukraine to a peaceful end.

At the joint press conference in the presidential palace in Brasília on Monday evening, he said that this war was in nobody's interests, that nobody knew what it would bring and when it would end.

Matthias Wysuwa

Political correspondent in Berlin.

  • Follow I follow

The war had reached a point where none of the belligerents would back down an inch.

That is why he has already proposed to French President Emmanuel Macron and now to Scholz to found such a club of countries.

For comparison, he cited the G20.

He also wants to propose this to US President Joe Biden at a meeting next week.

It's about finding a way out.

He called on China to play a role in this process.

"China now has to get involved."

Not a European matter

After Argentina and Chile, the visit to Brasília is the last stop on Scholz's first trip to Latin America.

In Brazil, the focus should be on fighting climate change, renewable energies and protecting the rainforest, which Germany wants to help with.

The federal government promised 200 million euros for this.

At the press conference, Scholz also emphasized that the Ukraine war was not a European matter.

The democracies around the world must stand together on this issue, there must be no return to the law of the strongest.

Brazil has long been critical of the consequences of the war and the sanctions.

However, under Lula's predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil approved the United Nations resolutions condemning the Russian attack on Ukraine and later the annexation of territories.

One of the goals of the Chancellor's trip was to explain the German view of the war and German support for Ukraine in the countries visited.

Like Brazil, Argentina and Chile have agreed to United Nations resolutions but have refused direct aid.

Scholz thanked for the clear rejection of Russian aggression.

In Brasília, Scholz said there was a "clear common position that we condemn the Russian attack".

Lula, 77, spoke of a "classic mistake" by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the attack.

However, he explained at length that he did not even understand exactly why this war started.

Lula has previously been critical of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Now he did not repeat that, but quoted a Brazilian proverb with a view to the reason for the war: “If one person does not want to, two cannot argue.”

Lula also clearly declined to sell ammunition for the cheetah, which Brazil owns.

They have no interest in selling ammunition that could be used in the war.

They also do not want any indirect participation in the war.

Lula said: "We are a country committed to peace." Scholz emphasized that there would be no peace "over the heads of the Ukrainians".

The prerequisites for negotiations are that Russia "takes a step involving the withdrawal of troops," he added.

"I think we are very much in agreement in the world community."

At the press conference, Scholz also expressed his delight that Lula was re-elected President, he has been back in office for almost a month.

With a view to the riots that shook Brasília shortly after Lula's inauguration, Scholz promised full solidarity.

During the press conference, the President and Chancellor hugged each other twice.