Brazil’s Lula doesn’t want to ‘please anyone’ over Ukraine stance, faces protests amid visit in Lisbon

The recently elected Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has garnered criticism over his stance on the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and said he does not want to “please anyone” with his views about the conflict, on Saturday (April 22), amid his five-day visit to Portugal.

What did Lula say in Lisbon?

The statement came after he arrived a day prior, in Portugal, and was faced with protests as many stood waving Ukrainian flags and holding photographs depicting conflict atrocities outside the Brazilian embassy in Lisbon.

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Lula’s stance has not only angered the people in Lisbon but also the West and Kyiv for suggesting Ukraine and Russia are to blame for the conflict that began over a year ago. Addressing the pressinthe Portuguese capital, on Saturday, beginning his first visit to Europe afterbeing elected president he called for a “negotiated” settlement between Kyiv and Moscow.

“While my government condemns the violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, we support a negotiated political solution to the conflict,” said Lula, following a meeting with the Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. He added, “Brazil does not want to take part in this war. Brazil wants to create peace.”

Last week, the Brazilian president faced criticismafter he said the United States and its European allies should stop supplying arms to Ukraine as they are prolonging the war. “If you are not making peace, you are contributing to war,” said Lula.

Subsequently, the White House accused himof “parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda”, while the Ukrainian government has criticised the Brazilian president for treating "the victim and the aggressor” the same way.

Protests in Lisbon over Lula’s visit

Portugal is a founding member of NATO and also sent military aid to Ukraine while the country’s president has previously said that Kyiv had the right to defend itself. On Saturday, Rebelo de Sousa also acknowledged that Portugal has a “different position” on the ongoing conflict adding that “for a road to peace to become a possibility, Ukraine must first have the right to respond to the invasion.”

The capital city of Portugal witnessed protests, on Friday, after many gathered outside the Brazilian embassy in Lisbon over Lula’s recent remarks.

A Ukrainian refugee named Yana Kolomiiets who was among the protesters and had been in Portugal for four months and said she felt “terrible” after hearing Lula’s comments last week, reported Reuters. The 27-year-old also said, “It has made me so upset because I don't know how the president of Brazil can support (Russian President Vladimir) Putin…this killer.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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