China and Brazil are expected to hold a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday to advance their long-running proposal for mediation in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the Post learned on Tuesday.
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At least 20 countries have declared an intention to send representatives to the meeting, including Azerbaijan, Colombia, Egypt, Kenya, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.
Neither the United States nor the European Union is expected to take part, and, according to Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, it is unclear whether the meeting will be attended by heads of state, foreign ministers or lower-level diplomats.
In a speech before the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addressed the Ukraine war, saying “it is now evident that neither side will be able to fully achieve its objectives through military means”.
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Lula described the armed conflict between the two countries, under way since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, as evoking “memories of the darkest days of the Cold War’s futile stand-off”.