International

Lula defends opening peace negotiations in the war in Ukraine during a summit with Russia

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended “avoiding an escalation and starting peace negotiations” in the war in Ukraine during his participation, by videoconference, in the BRICS summit, which holds its plenary session this Wednesday in the Russian city of Kazan.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also said that “the time has come to move forward” in the creation of an alternative payment system that allows emerging countries not to use the dollar in their exchanges.

“Avoiding an escalation and starting peace negotiations is also crucial in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia,” Lula said in the final words of his speech.

Middle East and Ukraine, at the summit

The Brazilian ruler, who together with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, promotes a peace initiative that Ukraine has already rejected, made that brief reference to the conflict on European soil after talking about the war that Israel is fighting against the Palestinian armed group Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbula.

“When we face two wars with the potential to become global, it is essential to rescue our ability to work together for common objectives,” stressed the Brazilian leader.

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Lula canceled his trip to Russia on medical recommendation, after suffering a fall on Saturday at his residence, which caused a small cut on the back of his neck that required five stitches.

Xi Jinping asks for de-escalation

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an early de-escalation in Ukraine and the cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

“It is necessary to contribute to a prompt de-escalation in Ukraine (…) and achieve a cessation of hostilities and murders in Gaza and Lebanon as soon as possible,” Xi said during his speech at the summit.

Jinping held a meeting in the Russian city of Kazan with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which he asked that China and India “resolve their conflicts and differences,” in the first formal meeting that both have in four years.

Xi indicated that both China and India “are ancient civilizations, large developing countries and important members of the Global South,” according to a statement published by the Chinese state network CCTV.

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Iranian president calls for a ceasefire in Palestine and Lebanon

For his part, the President of Iran, Masud Pezeshkian, “demanded” “an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Palestine and Lebanon,” on the first occasion that an Iranian president participates in a plenary session of the BRICS summit.

In addition, the Iranian president called for “the complete withdrawal of the troops of the occupying regime (Israel) from the occupied areas and immediate aid to the population of Gaza and to the displaced in Lebanon.”

Condemns Israeli bombing of Lebanon

The countries of the BRICS group condemned in the final declaration of the Kazan summit the Israeli bombings against the territory of Lebanon and against humanitarian centers in the Gaza Strip.

“We condemn the death of civilians and the enormous damage caused to civilian infrastructure as a result of Israeli attacks on civilian areas in Lebanon,” says the document released at the end of the meeting of the nine members of the BRICS in the Russian city of Kazan, a text that also condemns the Israeli attacks against centers, activities and humanitarian personnel in Gaza.

The BRICS call for an “immediate” end to hostilities in both Gaza and Lebanon.

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“We highlight the need to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon and create conditions for a political-diplomatic solution in order to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East,” the text says.

The joint statement warns that “a further escalation of the conflict in the Gaza Strip threatens with increased tensions, extremism and extremely harmful consequences at the regional and global level.”

The BRICS summit

The Kazan summit is the first to be held by the emerging economies group after its expansion from five to nine members last January.

“Now, in a limited format, we propose to consider the most relevant aspects of the global agenda, to exchange views on the issue of cooperation between the BRICS States at the international level, including the resolution of acute regional conflicts,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the opening of the meeting.

Once the meeting is concluded in a small format, the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia – will sit down at a table with representatives of about twenty States invited to the event, including Turkey, Bolivia, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

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At the end of the summit, BRICS leaders will approve a joint statement on a number of global issues, including conflict in Ukraine.

What is the BRICS group

The BRICS group, founded in 2006 and held its first summit in 2009, integrates countries with a third of the world economy and more than 40% of the population.

Analysts point out that with this summit Putin tries to show the world that Russia is not as isolated as the West intends, while paving the way for the forging of a new world majority that challenges the hegemony of the United States.

Putin and Maduro will meet today on the sidelines of the summit

Vladimir Putin will also meet with his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro, who arrived this Tuesday in the Russian city of Kazan to participate in the XVI Summit of the BRICS emerging economy group to which the country intends to join, the Kremlin reported.

The Kremlin’s advisor for International Affairs, Yuri Ushakov, added that Putin and Maduro will talk about “bilateral affairs and cooperation within the framework of the BRICS.”

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International

Macron meets Machado, stresses need for democratic transition in Venezuela

Emmanuel Macron met on Monday at the Élysée Palace with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, where they discussed the importance of advancing a democratic transition in Venezuela.

In a message shared on social media, Macron highlighted Machado’s commitment to freedom and stressed the need to achieve a transition that is peaceful and respects the will of the Venezuelan people.

“I received María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Together, we discussed her commitment to freedom and the importance of achieving a democratic, peaceful transition in Venezuela that respects the will of its people,” he wrote.

For her part, Machado expressed her “deep gratitude” to Macron and to France for their support of democracy and freedom in Venezuela.

“We have gone through a long and painful journey, and we are now very close to freedom. Venezuela will become a nation of free and equal men and women—prosperous, safe, and united,” she said.

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International

Trump says Iran seeks new talks after failed negotiations in Pakistan

Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran has reached out to United States to resume negotiations, following the collapse of recent talks held in Islamabad.

“We’ve been contacted by the other side,” Trump told reporters, adding that Iran is eager to reach a deal “at all costs.” Speaking from the Oval Office, he reiterated that his main objective is to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons and warned that he will not allow Iran to “blackmail” the international community.

After negotiations between Washington and Tehran ended without agreement on Sunday, Trump announced that the U.S. would move to block the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil trade.

The waterway had already been disrupted by Iran in response to a U.S. and Israeli offensive launched on February 28, causing significant shocks to the global economy.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump further warned that any Iranian vessel attempting to bypass the U.S. naval blockade in the strait would be “eliminated immediately.”

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The renewed tensions have pushed oil prices higher, while global stock markets have reacted negatively to the lack of an agreement in Islamabad.

International

Trump orders U.S. control of Strait of Hormuz after failed Iran talks

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States will take control of the Strait of Hormuz“effective immediately,” following the collapse of negotiations with Iran held in Islamabad.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had ordered the U.S. Navy to block vessels attempting to enter or exit the strategic waterway, a key route for global energy trade.

“The meeting went well, agreement was reached on most points, but the only really important one — nuclear weapons — was not approved,” Trump said, referring to the talks with Iranian representatives.

The president also stated that he had instructed authorities to intercept ships in international waters that had paid tolls to Iran to transit the strait, calling such payments “illegal.” He further accused Tehran of hindering an agreement by deploying mines in the area, describing the move as “international extortion.”

Trump added that the United States will undertake efforts to clear mines from the strait and expressed confidence that a future agreement ensuring free navigation could eventually be reached.

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The announcement came after Vice President JD Vance and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner briefed the president on the outcome of the negotiations, considered the highest-level contacts between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

While Trump acknowledged that enough progress had been made to maintain a temporary truce, he criticized Iran for remaining unwilling to abandon its nuclear ambitions, calling its position “very inflexible” on the central issue.