BRASILIA – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday that he would not visit Russia or Ukraine because of the ongoing war, but he remained committed to a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The leftist leader added at an event in the capital Brasilia that the conflict triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine should be unthinkable.

“In the 21st century, it shouldn’t be possible that we have war over small things,” he said.

The comments follow a video call between Mr Lula and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in early March, when Mr Zelensky invited Mr Lula to visit Kyiv.

Since Moscow’s invasion in February 2022, Mr Zelensky has sought to boost his international support and has received visits from various heads of state, including United States President Joe Biden.

In previous remarks, Mr Lula has advocated the creation of a group of countries that can mediate a peaceful solution to the conflict. REUTERS