Brazilian President Lula Holds 40-Minute Call With Russian President Putin On Ukraine Peace, BRICS Cooperation

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a 40-minute phone call to discuss ongoing peace efforts in the Ukraine conflict and their cooperation within the BRICS group of emerging economies. Putin briefed Lula on his recent talks with the United States, ahead of Putin's scheduled meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, and expressed support for resolving the Ukraine crisis. The two leaders also discussed the current international political and economic situation and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the Brazil-Russia strategic partnership and coordination within BRICS. Lula emphasized Brazil's support for dialogue and peaceful solutions, offering Brazil's contribution within the 'Friends of Peace' initiative launched by Brazil and China. The call follows a series of Putin's conversations with other BRICS leaders such as China's Xi Jinping and India's Narendra Modi, highlighting the group's response to U.S. tariffs imposed by Trump on BRICS imports. Lula has been actively seeking a joint BRICS response to U.S. tariffs, which Trump justified as measures against unfair trade practices.