Good morning! Today, we break down President Lula’s talk with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky. A sigh of relief for beef producers. And Lula’s U-turn on Brazil’s top prosecutorial office.
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Lula, Zelensky not on the same page
Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine had a video conversation on Thursday, and came away with very different summaries of what was discussed.
- Lula highlighted “Brazil’s desire to talk with other countries and to participate in any initiative related to peace-building and dialogue.” He added: “War should be of no interest to anyone.”
- Mr. Zelensky, on the other hand, stressed the “importance of upholding the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.” Ukraine’s territorial integrity is the country’s major casus belli.
Messaging. Brazil’s Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a statement saying it “defends the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” but this talking point was not in what Lula told his 7 million Twitter followers.
Why it matters. Lula has certainly softened his message on the war in Ukraine, going from...