Invitation for Lula to travel to Ukraine comes days after the president affirmed that there is a shared responsibility for the war.| Photo: Andre Borges/EFE

The spokesman for the Chancellery of the Government of Ukraine, Oleg Nikolenko, invited this Tuesday (18) President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to travel to the country to “understand the real causes” of the war waged by Russia and “its consequences for global security”. The invitation comes days after Lula made declarations that the conflict would be a shared responsibility for both countries.

In a Facebook post, Nikolenko says he is watching “with interest” Brazil’s efforts to find a solution to end the conflict. However, he criticizes Lula’s statement “by which the victim and the aggressor are treated on the same scale of weights”, and that the United States and countries of the European Union encourage war.

“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,” says Nikolenko.

The statement by the Ukrainian government spokesman comes a day after the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal announced that it will deliver a letter of “indignation” to Lula over the speeches given last weekend.