Ukraine sceptical over efforts to end war with Russia
by AFP Staff Writers
Baghdad (AFP) April 17, 2023

Ukraine's foreign minister cast doubts Monday on efforts to bring about peace in his country's war with Russia, saying during a visit to Iraq that Moscow "wants war".

The visit by Dmytro Kuleba is the first trip to Baghdad by a Ukrainian foreign minister in 11 years.

It comes after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited the Iraqi capital in February, a year after Russia invaded its neighbour.

At a joint press conference, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Baghdad was ready to "help the two parties to first reach a ceasefire, then to start discussions".

However, Kuleba appeared doubtful that peace efforts would succeed.

"Russia is seeking war. And this is the biggest impediment, the biggest hurdle on the way to peace," he told reporters.

"You don't behave like this when you want peace. So whatever Russian officials are saying... today Russia wants war," Kuleba said.

"We need Russia to agree with a very simple fact: it has to stop the war and withdraw from the territory of Ukraine. This will give space to diplomacy."

Offers to mediate in the Ukraine-Russia conflict have multiplied in recent weeks.

On Sunday in Abu Dhabi, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he had discussed joint mediation with China and the United Arab Emirates, and accused the United States and Europe of prolonging the conflict.

On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron's office said in a statement he had "discussed the next steps in the organisation of a peace summit" with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In 2021 and 2022 Iraq mediated several rounds of talks between officials from regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Last month, Riyadh and Tehran announced in China that they would be resuming diplomatic ties severed in 2016.

Hussein said on Monday of Ukraine and Russia: "When the two parties are convinced that dialogue is necessary, Baghdad will be at the service of both."

Iraq maintains good economic ties with both Kiev and Moscow, and has adopted a neutral stance since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

While it has secured support among the West, Ukraine is on a mission to bolster diplomatic support among emerging countries, especially in the Middle East and Asia.

W.House says Brazil 'parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda' on Ukraine
Washington (AFP) April 17, 2023 - The White House on Monday sharply criticized Brazil after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on a trip to China that the United States is encouraging war in Ukraine.

"In this case, Brazil is parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda without at all looking at the facts," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Lula said Saturday during a visit to Beijing, where he met Chinese leader Xi Jinping, that "the United States needs to stop encouraging war and start talking about peace. The European Union needs to start talking about peace."

This echoed a line frequently used by Moscow and Beijing, which blame the West for the war, which began in February 2022 when Russian forces poured into Ukraine in an attempt to overthrow the democratically elected government and annex swaths of the pro-Western country.

Brazil has not joined Western nations in imposing sanctions on Russia and has refused requests to supply ammunition to Ukraine.

On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Brazil, at the start of a Latin America tour, that Russia is "grateful to our Brazilian friends for their clear understanding of the genesis of the situation (in Ukraine)."

Veteran leftist Lula is keen to bolster Brazil's bid to be a non-aligned peacemaker.

But Kirby said Lula's message on the war was "deeply problematic."

Washington doesn't have "any objection to any country that wants to try to bring an end to the war," he said.

"Obviously we want the war to end," Kirby said. "That could happen right now, today, if Mr (Russian President Vladimir) Putin would stop attacking Ukraine and pull its troops out."

"The most recent comments by Brazil that Ukraine should consider formally ceding Crimea as a peace concession is simply misguided, especially for a country like Brazil that has voted to uphold the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity (at the UN)."

Ukraine foreign minister to visit Iraq on Monday
Baghdad (AFP) April 16, 2023 - Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is expected in Baghdad on Monday on his first visit to Iraq since Russia invaded his country, the foreign ministry said.

Kuleba is due to hold talks with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein as well as Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

They will discuss "bolstering bilateral ties, as well as regional and international" issues, said the statement quoting foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Sahhaf.

Kuleba's visit comes less than a week after Sudani received a phone call from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

At the time, Zelensky said he was "keen to develop relations with Iraq in all fields" describing it as "a pivotal and influential country", according to a statement from Sudani's office.

Iraq maintains good economic ties with both Kiev and Moscow, and has adopted a neutral stance since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

In February this year, the Iraqi foreign minister reiterated Baghdad's support for a ceasefire and negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, during a visit to Baghdad by his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

Iraq has hosted a raft of foreign officials in recent months and witnessed intense diplomatic activity, including several rounds of reconciliation talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

In March, the regional heavyweights made a surprise announcement saying they had agreed to restore diplomatic ties in a deal brokered by China.

Riyadh cut ties with Tehran after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in the Islamic republic in 2016 following the Saudi execution of revered Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

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