Lula Advocates U.N. Reform Amid Global Conflicts

Brazil and China have proposed a six-point plan for talks between Russia and Ukraine to end their conflict, according to Brazilian President Lula. He also highlighted the expanding conflict in Gaza and urged U.N. reforms to better represent global interests and redirect military spending to fight poverty and climate change.

Brazil and China have put forward a six-point plan aimed at initiating talks between Russia and Ukraine to resolve their ongoing conflict, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced on Tuesday.

Lula, who discussed the proposal with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone, did not offer specifics during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly. He also issued a warning about the escalating conflict in Gaza, which he said is dangerously spreading to Lebanon, and called for an immediate ceasefire.

Criticizing what he described as a transition from the right of defense to the right of revenge, Lula said this shift impedes efforts to release hostages and delays a ceasefire. The Brazilian president reiterated his country's call for U.N. reform, criticizing the global body's inefficacy in representing the world and preventing wars. He condemned the billions spent annually on military arsenals, suggesting these funds could better serve to eliminate poverty and combat climate change. Lula, serving his third term, emphasized that ending hunger is his administration's top priority. He also advocated for a revision of the U.N. charter to empower the General Assembly in promoting peace, pointing to the exclusion of Latin America and Africa from permanent Security Council seats as a relic of a colonial past.

(With inputs from agencies.)