Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has called for negotiations to achieve a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
President Lula was addressing a news conference in Hiroshima on Monday after attending the Group of Seven summit as a leader from the Global South, a term used to describe emerging and developing countries.
Lula said it seems apparent to him that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believe there's no need to negotiate peace.
But he said without negotiations, the conflict will drag on for an extended period.
The Brazilian leader also commented on the possibility that Russia might use nuclear arms against Ukraine. He said a major concern is that the battles may intensify.
Lula said no one had expected the United States to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima during World War Two. He said such a scenario must never happen again.
Lula suggested that he would collaborate with countries such as China and India to try to arrange negotiations for peace. He has placed importance on the Global South framework and Brazil's relations with China and Russia.
Lula also said he was scheduled to meet with Zelenskyy during the summit, but that the talks did not take place because the Ukrainian leader did not show up for the appointed time.