"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 sceptical over efforts to end war with Russia
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.
China minister hails 'strong' Russia ties in Putin meeting
Moscow (AFP) April 17, 2023 -
Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu on Sunday hailed ties with Moscow during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin.
"We have very strong ties. They surpass the military-political alliances of the Cold War era... They are very stable," he said in translated remarks broadcast on Russian TV.
He added that Russia-China ties have "already entered a new era".
"This is my first overseas visit since taking over as China's defence minister. I specifically chose Russia for this in order to emphasise the special nature and strategic importance of our bilateral ties," Li said.
Li also said China was willing to work with Russia to "further strengthen strategic communication between the two militaries", according to a readout of the meeting published by China's defence ministry.
In the meeting, also attended by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Putin welcomed military cooperation between Russia and China.
"We are also working actively through the military departments, regularly exchange useful information, cooperate in the field of military-technical cooperation, conduct joint exercises," Putin said.
"This is, undoubtedly, another important area that strengthens the exclusively trusting, strategic nature of our relations," he added.
Li's trip to Russia -- which will last until April 19 -- comes weeks after an official visit to Moscow by Chinese leader Xi Jinping last month.
During two days of talks, Putin and Xi hailed a "new era" in their relationship and discussed Beijing's proposals to end the Ukraine conflict.
Moscow and Beijing have over the past years ramped up cooperation, both driven by a desire to counterbalance US global dominance. Their partnership has only grown closer since Putin launched an offensive in Ukraine last February.
China has sought to portray itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, but Washington has accused Beijing of mulling arms exports to Moscow -- claims China has denied.
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