Spanish PM welcomes Brazil's offer to mediate in war

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has welcomed Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's proposal to create a group of neutral states that could mediate between Ukraine and Russia.

This was reported by El Mundo.

Sánchez admitted that he and the Brazilian leader have some differences on the issue of attitude toward the war against Ukraine. According to him, Spain's position is as follows: there is an aggressor and a victim, and the search for peace should be the basis.

"We must respect the fundamental principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, territorial integrity and the rules-based international order, without forgetting that there is an aggressor, Putin, and a people who have been attacked and are fighting for their freedom and territorial integrity," Sanchez emphasized.

Answering a direct question about whether the occupied Crimea and Donbas are Ukrainian or Russian territories, Lula da Silva said that this should be decided by the countries involved in the war. "It is not for me to decide whose territory it is. I will not lead the debate. It is the Russians and Ukrainians. First, they have to stop the war, and then we will start talking. Debates about the territory of Crimea or NATO are things for which these countries are responsible," he said.

The Brazilian president emphasized that Brazil "has condemned the territorial occupation of Ukraine from the very beginning". But, according to him, "we should not feed this war," hinting at the supply of weapons from NATO countries to Ukraine to help its defense and fight against Russia.

As you know, Spain is one of the countries that support Ukraine with weapons. In particular, Spain recently sent six Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

Author - Olena Madiak, 26/04/2023