In England, Lula relies on an environmentalist agenda and “peace in the world”

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) arrived in England this Friday (5th) for the coronation of King Charles III, the current English monarch, scheduled for Saturday (6th). Once again, the environmentalist agenda is on the agenda of the PT, who repeats on British soil the speech about the protection of the Amazon and the need for help from developed countries for the cause. Besides, after the criticism due to the statements made earlier about Ukraine, Lula again reaffirmed that it is necessary to discuss “peace in the world”.

The first engagement on European soil was a meeting with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak. The meeting, which began at 4 pm (local time), took place at 10 Downing Street, the British premier’s residence and workplace and, according to the PT, dealt with issues such as trade relations between the two countries, “protection of the environment and world peace”.

At the same meeting, Sunak informed that the United Kingdom would donate the sum of 80 million pounds – around R$ 499 million, at current exchange rates – to the Amazon Fund. “The UK will contribute around half a billion reais to the Amazon Fund to help combat deforestation and save the region’s rich biodiversity,” the British government said in a statement. The European country joins Germany, Norway and the United States that also donated to the Fund this year.

The reasons for donating money to the Fund, however, are deeper than just the environmental agenda and concern for the Amazon. “The largest economies in the world are part of the G7 – a group that is committed to reducing CO2 emissions on the Planet –, but they are responsible for a large part of the deforestation that they are trying so hard to reverse”, points out the specialist in risk management and geopolitics Nelson Ricardo Fernandes, founding partner of Arp Digital Consulting.

The specialist states that the developed countries have their economy based on the promotion of the industry that, in accelerated growth, is pointed out as one of the biggest villains of the environment. With the intention of seeking “compensation” for the damage caused, these powers invest in developing or underdeveloped countries to avoid deforestation in these regions.

In addition, the United Kingdom is also trying to keep itself “well in the loop” because of the so-called Brexit, according to Fernandes’ assessment. “England did not leave the European Union through the front door, so it seeks to maintain a good economic image for other nations by buying the environmentalist agenda. For this, nothing better than donating money to the Amazon”, he analyzes.

In this Friday’s meeting with the prime minister, Lula also reinforced his commitment to zero deforestation in Brazil by 2030. This is not the first time that the PT has adopted such a speech since taking office for his third term. The maxim has already been repeated in the other eight countries that the Brazilian representative visited in the last 125 days since he took office. The president also called for more climate financing from developed countries that are also responsible for greenhouse gas emissions.

“Rich countries need to fulfill the commitments defined in the COPs (UN climate conference). The poorest countries need help to keep their forests standing. I’m very optimistic and grateful to be here. This bilateral [com a Inglaterra] it is very important for us”, said the petista.

Lula returns to talk about discussing “peace in the world”

According to Lula, he and the English premier also discussed “world peace”. Previously, the petista was the target of criticism when he stated that Ukraine was co-responsible for the war provoked by Russia more than a year ago. During a visit to Portugal at the end of last month, Lula tried to backtrack on the allegation and denied having “equalized” responsibility for the conflict, but returned to criticize Ukraine. “Russia doesn’t want to stop, Ukraine doesn’t want to stop,” the president said recently.

In the same speech given in Portugal, the Brazilian president stated that Brazil would remain neutral and did not intend to support either country. Although he spoke about the desire for “neutrality”, Lula’s allegations put him in a position favorable to Russia in the war.

In a statement sent to the press after the meeting between Lula and Sunak, the British government stated that the two “agreed that the invasion of Russia [à Ucrânia] was unacceptable, as well as the murder of innocent civilians”. The Brazilian note released by the Planalto Palace, however, makes no mention of Ukraine, according to information published by the newspaper The globe.

For Fernandes, this could put Brazil in check with regard to economic relations with other countries. influences the difficulty of negotiations”, he says.

He also explains that England tries to adopt a similar posture when it supports the environmentalist agenda.

Lula at the coronation of King Charles III

The coronation ceremony of King Charles III takes place this Saturday (6). The official agenda for the event, however, began this Friday with real movements to meet world leaders and receive heads of state who will attend the ceremony – including the Brazilian representative. Lula is one of more than two thousand invited to the coronation.

Lula arrived in London this Friday morning and stayed in the royal suite of the JW Marriot Hotel, in the Mayfair neighborhood, considered a noble area of ​​the English capital. The location chosen by the Brazilian delegation caused criticism for the “extravagance” adopted. According to information revealed by the Band, the daily rate at the hotel can cost up to 15,000 pounds – around R$ 95,000. An entire floor was reserved to accommodate the Brazilian delegation. The federal government, however, has not yet announced who will be responsible for paying for accommodation.

Although criticized, Lula’s presence at the coronation is justifiable in the opinion of risk management and geopolitics specialist Nelson Ricardo Fernandes. For him, “it is important for Lula to be there [na Inglaterra] to maintain the agenda and negotiations with other countries, regardless of what he has said about Russia or China before,” he points out.

After the meeting with the English premier this Friday, Lula, accompanied by the first lady, Rosângela Silva, known as Janja, attended a dinner with the British monarch and other heads of state at Buckingham Palace, at 5 pm (local time). As revealed by the advisory of the president, the meeting lasted about three hours. At least ten other leaders participated in the event.

The expectation, according to the official agenda of the president, is that he will return to Brazil at the end of Saturday night, around 7 pm, after attending the reception of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development of the United Kingdom, James Cleverly , and the coronation of King Charles III (at 11am local time). Lula’s agenda also provides for a press release scheduled for 3 pm.