The Association of Ukrainians in Portugal is preparing a letter that it intends to deliver to the president of Brazil during his visit to Portugal, admitting the holding of a demonstration to demonstrate indignation, Pavlo Sadokha told Lusa.
“The Ukrainian community is preparing a letter that it will deliver when [President] Lula [da Silva] visits Portugal on April 25 and we are also thinking of holding a demonstration, whose location has not yet been determined, to demonstrate our position. . We did not agree with what Lula said”, said the head of the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal.
“We hope that President Marcelo [Rebelo de Sousa] and the Prime Minister, António Costa, will try to change this position of President Lula”, he added.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended on Saturday, at the end of a visit to the People’s Republic of China, that the United States should stop “encouraging war” in Ukraine and the European Union should “start talking about peace”.
“The United States must stop encouraging war and start talking about peace, the European Union must start talking about peace”, said the Brazilian head of state to journalists, in Beijing, before leaving for the United Arab Emirates.
For the president of the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal, Lula da Silva’s position shows “support” for totalitarian regimes such as Russia and the People’s Republic of China and stresses that he does not understand the position of the Socialist Party.
“Yesterday [Sunday] we saw several statements by various [Portuguese] parties and we did not understand this position of the PS. They agree with Lula’s statements”, he said, noting that “until now” Portuguese politicians have helped Ukraine.
Pavlo Sadokha recalled that the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal visited areas of Ukraine “where Russian soldiers committed crimes considered as war crimes” and, therefore, could explain to the President of Brazil “what is really happening ”.
“We hope this will happen”, said Sadokha adding that Portuguese politicians can convince President Lula and explain that it was the Russian Federation that started the war against Ukraine and that “it is not that simple” to end the conflict with an agreement of peace”.
“President Lula declared that Ukraine may cede Crimea [annexed in 2014] or other Ukrainian territories at the expense of peace. This is no solution for either Ukrainians or European countries. Russia did not start this war in order to occupy some territories, ”he considered.
Pavlo Sadokha also said that Ukrainians in Portugal expected “more support” from Brazil where he lives, he said, “a huge community” of citizens of Ukraine.
“We also know that the Ukrainian community in Brazil has already written a letter to Lula because it does not agree with the declarations” of the Brazilian head of state, said Sadhoka.
*With Lusa
