It is time to give a voice to those who want peace in Ukraine

A year on from the invasion of Ukrainian territory by Russian forces, starting the war, what now predominates is the armed stalemate on the ground, triumphalist rhetoric on both sides, and intelligence indicating the prospect of new military operations. Media coverage reflects this reality, one of a conflict to which prompt solutions – it must be said – are scarce.
President Lula took office amidst this challenging international context, and since then he has made Brazil's position clear, faithful to our diplomatic tradition. As a starting point, it is unequivocal that the Russian invasion and the territorial violation of a sovereign state, Ukraine, must be condemned.

Nevertheless, a year later, the understanding of the Brazilian government is that, amidst the most strident chorus, made of powerful voices, focused on the war and its strong geopolitical dimension, the time has come to also give voice to those who speak in favour of paving ways to peace. To this end, President Lula took a clear and public stand.

We are aware that previous efforts in reaching an understanding had limited success, only related to humanitarian aspects or the possibility of resuming grain exports from Ukrainian ports. Brazil, therefore, does not enter the ongoing debate with the intention of presenting a ready-made solution. It enters to listen and to discuss with countries and blocs willing to explore the path of understanding – and there are several relevant countries amongst them. I am convinced that the search for further progress, even if limited, is a necessary step towards more ambitious peace initiatives.

To any possible criticism of Brazil’s position, generally related to an alleged excess of playing a leading role on the international stage at this point in the conflict, I respond with facts: whether in the contacts hitherto maintained by President Lula with 15 Heads of State and Government, or in the more than 40 meetings that I held with foreign ministers, leaders of international organisations and with other Heads of State and Government, the Brazilian position in the conflict is well understood. Moreover, several of these interlocutors even suggest that this position is welcome at this point, even if they are pessimistic about an end to the conflict in the immediate future.

Constructive role

During my recent participation in the Munich Security Conference, last week, on the side-lines of which I held 21 bilateral meetings over two days, I brought – and transmitted to President Lula – the conviction that relevant countries like Brazil, which are not directly involved in the conflict, have a constructive role to play in the debate from now on. In none of the aforementioned meetings, including with foreign ministers from Ukraine and several other countries, did I hear any criticism of Brazil’s willingness to explore, together with other interlocutors, paths that might create conditions for the end of the conflict. In the deliberations of the most recent UN General Assembly's resolution on the war, we acted to call on the parties to cease hostilities, a term that appears for the first time in the debates, at the suggestion of Brazil.

This line of action never loses sight of the human drama that arrives daily at everyone's homes, especially in the communities of Ukrainian and Russian immigrants and their descendants who live in our country. Nor does it ignore the national and global macroeconomic impact of the war, particularly with regard to rising input costs for agricultural and food production.

Brazil will continue to persevere on this path, starting at the G-20 ministerial meeting in New Delhi, next week, which I will attend. Brazil's stance currently enjoys enough support from the international community so that voices in favour of an understanding gain such momentum as to influence moves and conversations capable of avoiding, in the future, new milestones relating to the duration of the war, such as today’s sad one-year anniversary.

Mauro Vieira, Minister of Foreign Affairs