Lula arrives in Portugal under suspicion after statements about Ukraine

President Lula (PT) landed this Friday morning (21) in Lisbon, capital of Portugal, for a six-day agenda in Europe. The petista will remain in Portugal until Tuesday (25), and then he will go to Spain, where he will stay until the following day.

On this trip, Lula’s first to Europe in his third term, the Brazilian president is expected to participate in the 13th meeting of the Brazil-Portugal Summit bilateral summit, in which agreements between the countries must be signed, such as the equivalence of diplomas in the fundamental and medium and the recognition of driver’s licenses. Still in Portuguese lands, Lula will participate in a Business Forum in Matosinho, in the north of Portugal, with businessmen from both countries, and will make a speech in the country’s Parliament. In Spain, the PT member should participate in a business forum and meet with the country’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez.

Lula’s presence encounters resistance among Europeans, which was inflamed after recent speeches by the Brazilian president, who stated that Ukraine was also responsible for the decision to go to war with Russia. In May 2022, the PT had already stated that the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, was as responsible for the conflict as the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, starting the war with the neighboring country. For Lula, however, “the decision to go to war was taken by two countries.”

The speech by the Brazilian president had a bad effect among several nations and led to criticism from the spokesman for the American National Security Council, John Kirby. The day after the declaration, the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal announced that it would deliver a letter to Lula with indignation during his visit to Europe. A representative of the entity, Pavlo Sadokha, stated that Lula’s statement demonstrates clear support for totalitarian regimes, such as Russia and China.

Finally, the spokesman for the chancellery of the government of Ukraine, Oleg Nikolenko, invited Lula to travel to the country to “understand the real causes” of the war waged by Russia and “its consequences for global security”. In a Facebook post about the case, Nikolenko said that “Ukraine does not need to be convinced of anything. The war is fought on Ukrainian soil and causes unspeakable suffering and destruction. More than anyone else in the world, we strive to end Russian aggression based on the Formula of Peace proposed by President Zelensky”.

In view of this scenario, protests against Lula are planned during his visit to Europe, especially in Portugal, which concentrates a large number of Brazilian residents. Pro-Lula demonstrators also joined forces to demonstrate support for the PT.