Brazil's Lula, citing war, will not visit Russia or Ukraine

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday he will not visit Russia or Ukraine due to 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 Lula and Ukraine's President Volodymir Zelenskiy, in early March when Zelenskiy invited Lula to visit Kiev.

Since the invasion in Februaty 2022 Zelenskiy has sought to boost his international support, including visits from various heads of state such as U.S. President Joe Biden.

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