Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Ukraine conflict, trade and bilateral relations in a telephone conversation on January 27, as Moscow sought to strengthen ties with Latin America's largest economy.

During the call, Lula expressed concerns about the situation in Ukraine while reaffirming Brazil's commitment to peace promotion. Putin thanked Brazil for its efforts to find a solution to the conflict and praised the “Group of Friends of Peace,” an initiative launched by Brazil and China at the UN last September to draft a peace plan for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously dismissed the proposal as "destructive," asserting that countries must choose between supporting the war or helping to stop Russia's full-scale invasion.

Brazil, which took over the BRICS presidency from Russia on January 1, has set an agenda focused on strengthening Global South cooperation and reforming international governance structures. The country plans to develop payment systems to facilitate intra-BRICS trade and investment, promote responsible artificial intelligence governance, and improve climate change financing mechanisms.

Putin pledged support for Brazil's leadership of the bloc and stated his willingness to advance these initiatives ahead of the group’s July summit, set to be held in Rio de Janeiro. Both leaders welcomed Indonesia's recent entry as a full member of the group, which has positioned itself as a key diplomatic forum for Global South countries.

During the conversation, Putin invited Lula to attend Victory Day celebrations in Moscow this May, marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II. The Brazilian president indicated his intention to attend, despite previous controversy surrounding his engagement with Putin, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children during the early stages of the conflict.

The call came at a sensitive moment for Brazilian diplomacy, occurring just days after Brasília protested against Washington over the treatment of Brazilian migrants deported from the United States under the new administration of President Donald Trump.

The Moscow celebrations are expected to draw several world leaders, including Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Their planned attendance, along with Lula's, is likely to spark diplomatic tensions with the West. The Brazilian president had previously cancelled a trip to Kazan for the BRICS summit in October 2024 due to a head injury.