Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday (30) that Moscow “values Brazil’s position” in seeking a resolution to the war in Ukraine.
Speaking at a press conference during the 22nd annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, Lavrov responded to a question from BdF about ongoing contacts with the Brazilian government. He pointed to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s and Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira’s efforts to address humanitarian issues related to the conflict.
“We have a very close relationship with Brazil. I was at the Brics Summit, and during meetings between foreign ministers we had detailed conversations with President Lula and Minister Mauro Vieira. We value Brazil’s position, which for several years has put forward proposals to help address humanitarian problems, in particular,” Lavrov said.
Lavrov used the example of accusations from Kyiv that “tens of thousands of children had disappeared and that Russia had evacuated them.”
“When Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul, our side insisted that a list of these children be provided, because it is a serious matter. After much persuasion, the Ukrainians handed over a list of 339 children. Most of them turned out to be adults, not children, and none were connected to Russian territory,” he argued.
Lavrov insisted that such humanitarian issues “must be resolved fairly” and emphasized that Brazil shares this position. “We value that Brazil shares this stance,” he added.
The Russian foreign minister also reiterated Moscow’s position on the conditions for a peace agreement, pointing to arguments previously made by President Vladimir Putin to Brics partners.
“With regard to political aspects of a resolution, we explained to Brazilian colleagues, and to others in Brics, the approaches President Putin has outlined many times: the most important factor for a sustainable resolution is eliminating the root causes of the conflict, removing the threats to Russian security that the West created through its use of the Ukrainian regime, and fully restoring the rights of the Russian population and of Russophiles whose rights are prohibited by law in Ukraine. That is why we will continue to cooperate,” Lavrov stated.
The Valdai Discussion Club’s 22nd annual meeting, held in Sochi from September 29 to October 3, brought together 140 participants from more than 40 countries to discuss the paths toward multipolarity.
The forum is a fixture in Russia’s foreign policy calendar, gathering academics, diplomats, and political actors to debate major international issues. This year’s theme is “The Polycentric World: Instructions for Use.”
