Brazil’s Lula to meet Chinese counterpart and discuss Ukraine

This week, Brazil's President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is scheduled to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Beijing. The focus of their meeting will be on trade as well as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. According to Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Lula hopes to use the meeting to advocate for mediated talks to bring an end to the war. Lula has a history of positioning Brazil as a mediator in international conflicts, as he did in 2010 during nuclear talks between Iran and the United States. However, his diplomatic reputation suffered last year when he was criticized for suggesting that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy shared responsibility for the war with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Additionally, Lula has declined to support Western countries in providing military aid to Ukraine. The meeting between Lula and Xi is scheduled for Friday, following Lula's arrival in China on Tuesday.