Moscow assumes a longer war
09:58 | A recently passed Russian law reversed the dispensation given to some Russian men to evade conscription. This suggests Moscow is preparing for a longer war, says the British Defense Ministry.
The call system would now go fully digital, making it easier for Russian men to mobilize and stoking fears of war in Ukraine, says the latest UK intelligence update.
Lula: US must stop encouraging war in Ukraine
09:16 | Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says the US should stop “encouraging” war in Ukraine. Lula said this at the end of a visit to Beijing where he had an interview with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“The United States must stop encouraging war and start talking about peace, the European Union must start talking about peace,” Lula told the press. In doing so, the international community must convince Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine that “peace is in the interest of the whole world”.
The war in Ukraine started in February last year after Russia invaded the neighboring country. Lula tries to maintain a neutral position in the conflict and underlines the importance of dialogue and negotiation.
With the visit to China, Brazil’s most important trading partner, Lula wants to strengthen the ties between the two countries and show that Brazil is once again playing a role on the world stage. Lula plays a balancing act, because he is also trying to strengthen ties with Washington. In February, you met with US President Joe Biden.