Brazil can help in the search for peace in Ukraine, says Dutch premier

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, said this Tuesday (9), in Brasília, after meeting with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, that countries like Brazil can play a relevant role in efforts to put an end to to the war in Ukraine, which has lasted more than a year. The Dutch leader is on an official visit to Brazil. “The president [Lula] explained in detail the steps taken by Brazil, which are also very important to help find solutions to the situation, to make efforts in search of peace. I believe that everything should start with the presidency of Ukraine, under the leadership of Ukraine,” said the prime minister in a statement to the press after the meeting at the Planalto Palace. “It is crucial that big countries, economies like Brazil, leaders like the president of Brazil, that I admire, help us find this solution”, added Mark Rutte. In turn, Lula stated that Brazil “is making a very big effort” to form a group of countries, including China and India, to negotiate a peace. “I think the time is for diplomacy, not the time for war. Everyone knows that Brazil condemned the territorial invasion of Ukraine. But, at the same time, the continuation of the war will only lead to death”, said Lula. The Brazilian president highlighted the visit of the special advisor for International Affairs, Celso Amorim, who is in Ukraine, where he should meet in person with the president of the country Volodymyr Zelensky A few weeks ago, Amorim was also in Russia, where he met with Vladimir Putin, president of the country. [terça] Celso Amorim arrived in Ukraine. He had already been to Russia. He traveled 12 hours by train to reach Ukraine. I hope that Celso brings me not the solution, but that he brings me hints of solutions so that we can start talking about peace. He already knows what Putin wants, he will now know what Zelensky wants. We are going to have instruments to talk to other countries and build, who knows, the possibility of stopping this war”, stated Lula. Bilateral relationship After the meeting at the Planalto Palace, president Lula and the first lady, Janja da Silva, will dinner for the Dutch delegation at the Itamaraty Palace. Rotterdam, one of the main ones in Europe. Traditional trading partners of Brazil, the Netherlands are among the largest immediate foreign investors in the Brazilian market, with a stock of around US$ 126 billion in 2021, according to the government. In 2022, it was the fourth country in the world – and the first in Europe – that most imported Brazilian products, with a flow of US$ 11.9 billion. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is in 21st place in the ranking of countries that most exported to Brazil, with US$ 2 .75 billion. The main Brazilian export product to the Netherlands was oil, with 18% of the total, followed by soy (9.5%) and iron (5.9%). Refined fuels accounted for 42% of products imported by Brazil, followed by fertilizers (11%) and industrialized products (4.7%).

Agência Brasil