In a comprehensive new interview with the Spanish daily El País, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reaffirmed his country’s long-standing position on the ongoing war in Ukraine: absolute condemnation of Russia’s territorial invasion, coupled with a firm insistence that only negotiated diplomacy can end the bloodshed.
Illusions of a Quick Victory
As the war stretches into its fifth year, Lula reflected on the miscalculations made by both global powers at the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. “At the beginning, both sides and their allies had illusions about a quick victory,” the Brazilian leader noted. He suggested that then-U.S. President Joe Biden expected Russia to crumble swiftly under economic sanctions and Western military support for Kyiv. Conversely, Russian President Vladimir Putin anticipated a rapid decapitation of the Ukrainian government and an immediate capture of the country.
“They were wrong. The war has been going on for four years,” Lula stated, emphasizing the devastating human and financial toll the prolonged conflict has exacted on the globe. He expressed profound skepticism that the hostilities would cease without decisive external mediation, pointing out that neither side has achieved its overarching objectives.
The Sino-Brazilian Peace Push
Brazil’s diplomatic approach has not been without controversy. In 2024, Lula championed a joint “six-point consensus” with China aimed at freezing the conflict and initiating peace talks. The proposal was initially lambasted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “destructive” for failing to explicitly demand the withdrawal of Russian troops or guarantee Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
However, Lula has continued to position Brazil as a crucial mediator from the Global South. Subsequent diplomatic engagements, including a pivotal sit-down between Lula and Zelenskyy at the UN General Assembly in New York in late 2025, demonstrated a mutual willingness to keep diplomatic channels open, even if fundamental disagreements remain. Brazil explicitly refuses to support Russia’s military actions but continues to prioritize dialogue over arms.
A Critique of Global Institutions and U.S. Leadership
The El País interview also highlighted Lula’s broader frustrations with the current geopolitical world order. Taking a sharp aim at U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive foreign policy—specifically regarding recent threats toward Iran and interventionist actions in Venezuela in early 2026—Lula argued that “no one has the right to scare others”.
“Trump has no right to wake up in the morning and threaten a country,” Lula asserted, condemning global governance by fear. For the Brazilian president, these unilateral power plays are a direct symptom of the United Nations’ impotence. He argued that the UN Security Council, anchored in a post-World War II reality, is ill-equipped to handle modern crises. Lula reiterated his core belief that an effective, reformed UN could have prevented the war in Ukraine from erupting in the first place.
Conclusion
Lula da Silva’s latest remarks underscore the complex tightrope walked by BRICS nations that remain formally unaligned with Western military efforts. While firmly rejecting Russia’s imperialism, Brazil insists that continuing to rely solely on the battlefield will only result in a bloody stalemate. As the world watches to see if these diplomatic overtures will gain traction, Lula’s call for a multi-polar, negotiation-based resolution remains as persistent as ever.