Lula: 'My Comrade Putin, Please Go to Talks in Istanbu'l

President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will once again travel to Moscow. He plans to discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky concerning peace talks in Istanbul.

Photo: en.kremlin.ru by Presidential Executive Office of Russia, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

President of Russia Vladimir Putin

Lula da Silva revealed that during his visit to Russia from May 8–10, he received a request from Zelensky to inquire about the Russian leadership’s willingness to declare a ceasefire. Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira received a call from his Ukrainian counterpart, who conveyed that Zelensky would like the Brazilian leader to “ask Putin whether he is ready to conclude a peace agreement.”

Lula said he passed on the request as soon as he met with Putin.

“I had the opportunity to have dinner with Putin, and that was the first thing I asked him,” he shared. After finishing his visit to China, the Brazilian president plans to return to Moscow. He wants to persuade his Russian counterpart to meet Zelensky in Istanbul. I’ll try to speak with Putin. It costs me nothing to say to him: my comrade Putin, please go to the talks in Istanbul," Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said.

Zelensky Pledges to Wait for Putin in Istanbul

Originally, the Ukrainian president promised to personally wait for Putin at the peace talks in Turkey on May 15, if Moscow agreed to a full and extended ceasefire starting Monday, May 12. Later, Axios reported that Zelensky intends to go to Turkey for the negotiations regardless of whether Russia agrees to begin the ceasefire on Monday.

Zelensky also emphasized that the current Ukrainian ban on negotiations with Russia does not apply to him. According to the country’s constitution, he is the one authorized to conduct negotiations, and no one else can engage in such talks with Putin or other world leaders.

Meanwhile, political analyst Sergey Markov stated that the Russian president might visit Turkey for negotiations on Ukraine under certain conditions. In particular, the visit could take place if US President Donald Trump guarantees that Zelensky will not sabotage the meeting with rude behavior. Additionally, the Kremlin reportedly wants to hear the US president’s views on the potential direction of the talks.

Details

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazilian Portuguese: [luˈiz iˈnasju ˈlulɐ dɐ ˈsiwvɐ] ; born Luiz Inácio da Silva; 27 October 1945), known mononymously as Lula, is a Brazilian politician who has served as the 39th president of Brazil since 2023. A member of the Workers' Party, Lula was also the 35th president from 2003 to 2011. Described as left-wing, his first presidency coincided with South America's first pink tide. During his first two consecutive terms in office, he continued fiscal policies and promoted social welfare programs such as Bolsa Família that eventually led to growth in GDP, reduction in external debt and inflation, and helping 20 million Brazilians escape poverty. He also played a role in foreign policy, both on a regional level and as part of global trade and environment negotiations. During those terms, Lula was considered one of the most popular politicians in Brazil's history and left office with 80% approval rating. His first term was marked by notable scandals, including the Mensalão vote-buying scandal. After the 2010 Brazilian general election, he was succeeded by his former chief of staff, Dilma Rousseff, and remained active in politics and gave lectures.