The US denies “surprised” Lula’s statements about the intention to encourage the war in Ukraine

The United States on Tuesday denied the assertions by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva that Washington encourages the war in Ukraine and assured that he was “surprised” at the words and not very neutral tone of the Brazilian president, the White House insisted.

“We are surprised by the feedback [del presidente Lula]we are surprised by the tone (…) which was not a tone of neutrality, suggesting that the United States and Europe are not interested in peace or that we share responsibility for the war,” warned the press secretary of the administration of Joe Biden, Karine Jean-Pierre.

The spokeswoman insisted that “of course” the US wants the war to end, adding that Washington and other European countries have tried to “actively involve [el presidente ruso Vladimir] Putin to prevent war from at least mid-2021.”

“Unfortunately, Russia has shown no interest in ending its unprovoked invasion,” he said.

Lula, who concluded a visit to Asia over the weekend with a stop in Beijing, has repeatedly criticized the position of the US and European nations regarding the war in Ukraine.

The Brazilian president has refused to send weapons to kyiv and has once again proposed the creation of a “peace group” that included countries seeking an end to the conflict. He also added that arms-supplying nations had to be convinced to stop doing so.

The United States and the European Union have sent arms and other aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded the neighboring country over a year ago. Biden traveled to kyiv on the eve of the anniversary of the conflict to reinforce his support and has received his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the White House.

This is a stumbling block in the hitherto sweet moment in relations between the Biden and Lula administrations, which staged a cordial meeting last february in washington.

“We are confident in the strength of the relationship between the US and Brazil, even if we disagree with some of the things President Lula said,” Jean-Pierre added. “We are still confident in the commitment of that relationship.”

The White House press secretary added that they will continue to work with their allies “to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression, while supporting Ukraine’s proposal for a just and lasting peace.”

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and activate notifications, or follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.