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"I replied to him that I can't go to Russia at the moment": Lula in a phone call with Putin

Photo: Ueslei Marcelino / REUTERS

International reactions

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he had declined an invitation to Russia in a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. "I thanked him for inviting him to the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg and replied that I cannot travel to Russia at the moment," Lula wrote on Twitter. However, he reiterated that Brazil, like India, Indonesia and China, was ready to "talk to both sides of the conflict in order to create peace," the left-wing politician wrote, referring to Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine.

According to the Kremlin, Lula had taken the initiative for the phone call. In it, Putin gave his "fundamental assessment of the development of the situation in Ukraine," it said in a statement after the conversation. Russia is open to dialogue at the political level, Putin was quoted as saying.

In recent months, Lula has repeatedly called for international mediation in the Ukraine war with the participation of Brazil and China. With criticism of the military aid provided by NATO and other countries to Ukraine during a visit to China in April, the head of state and government of South America's largest country caused considerable irritation in the United States and Europe. A few days later, he criticized Russia's attack on Ukraine, but did not call for the withdrawal of Russian troops. On Thursday, Lula said he spoke on the phone with Chinese state and party leader Xi Jinping and spoke about Ukraine, among other things.

Poland's parliament wants to investigate possible influence of Russia

Poland's parliament has passed a controversial bill that would investigate possible Russian influence on the country's security. A majority of MPs voted on Friday in favour of the bill of the national-conservative ruling party PiS, as reported by the PAP news agency. Critics accuse the PiS government of aiming to discredit opposition leader and former head of government Donald Tusk with the law a few months before the parliamentary elections in autumn. The law still needs to be signed by President Andrzej Duda.

According to the draft law, a commission of inquiry is to examine whether official acts harmful to the country's security were taken between 2007 and 2022, whether relevant information was passed on to third parties or whether contracts were concluded that favored Russia's influence. The commission of inquiry should also be allowed to impose penalties. Among other things, it can block functionaries from taking office for a period of ten years if this office also includes control over public funds.

Former EU Council President Donald Tusk was Poland's head of government from 2007 to 2014. The PiS government accuses him, among other things, of having concluded unfavorable gas contracts with Russia. Tusk is considered the fiercest political opponent of PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski. The Gdańsk native currently leads Poland's largest opposition party, the liberal-conservative Civic Platform.

EU calls deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus dangerous escalation

The EU condemns the Russian-Belarusian agreement on the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus. This step will lead to a further, extremely dangerous escalation, says EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. He accused the government in Minsk of complicity in "Russia's illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine". Russian and Belarusian statements are not available.

US President Joe Biden is also opposed to the stationing of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. He reacted "extremely negatively," Biden said.

Former Foreign Minister Fischer: Russia is a permanent threat

Former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer (Greens) sees Europe permanently threatened by Russia. The old formula "security can only be achieved with Russia" is no longer valid, the Green politician told Berlin's Tagesspiegel. Instead, "security from Russia" will have to determine the future. It is important to correct a "merciless naivety" in Russia policy.

Fischer sees the reasons for this development in the "revisionism" of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. He wanted to "re-incorporate" the former Soviet territories. However, according to Fischer, Putin is not isolated. Putin's conviction is "widely shared" by the Russian population, said Fischer, who was foreign minister under Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (SPD).

According to Fischer, Ukraine will play a major role in Europe's security. The country belongs in the EU and also in NATO, said the ex-foreign minister. Outside, Ukraine would also have a "significantly greater risk potential". Moving away from this promise would "permanently cause a great disaster," Fischer told the Tagesspiegel. In the war over Ukraine, the Green politician expects a ceasefire that will not satisfy either side and will be painful.

kim/dpa/Reuters/AFP/AP