In Paris, Lula and Macron call for an end to conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine

In Paris, before French President Emmanuel Macron and members of the Brazilian and international press gathered at the Élysée Palace, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva became emotional on Thursday, June 5, as he spoke about the suffering of Gaza’s residents amid Israel’s attacks. He delivered a forceful address, urging the world to express outrage over the killing of innocent children and women.

What is happening in Gaza is not a war. What is happening in Gaza is genocide carried out by a highly trained army against women and children. That is the reality. And that is what humanity must be outraged about”

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,
President of the Republic

“The day I lose the ability to be outraged, I do not deserve to be the leader of my country,” Lula said. “What is happening in Gaza is not a war. It is genocide carried out by a highly trained army against women and children. That is the reality. And that is what humanity must be outraged about,” the Brazilian leader added.

UN COUNCIL – In Europe, Lula once again called for reform of the UN Security Council. “The UN of today cannot be the UN of 1945. Today’s UN must include representation from the African continent, South America, and Latin America. It must also include important countries like Germany, Japan. Why is India left out?”

According to the Brazilian leader, the United Nations must have the authority to determine the legitimacy of Palestinian territory. “The same UN that had the power to create the State of Israel must have the authority to uphold the borders established in 1967 for Palestine. It is crucial that world powers put an end to this. The UN cannot continue to call for a ceasefire without enforcing it,” Lula said.

HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS – According to Emmanuel Macron, Europe will push for conditions that allow humanitarian operations to enter Gaza safely. The French leader also mentioned an upcoming conference with Saudi Arabia to address the issue.

“There is coordination at the European level among our foreign ministers — with European Union ministers, as well as with the British foreign minister — to step up the pressure. The next few days will be decisive,” Macron said.

"We will step up pressure, together with the Americans, to achieve a ceasefire and allow humanitarian operations to resume. At the same time, we are preparing for the June 18 conference with Saudi Arabia, which is expected to lay the groundwork for a Palestinian recognition mechanism and a collective security framework for the entire region. Discussions are ongoing, and in the coming days, we will determine whether to raise our voices further and take concrete action,” the French president continued.

UKRAINE – The two presidents also took a stance on the war between Russia and Ukraine, advocating for negotiations to end the conflict. “Since the beginning of this war, Brazil has taken a stance against the territorial occupation of Ukrainian land while also opposing war itself. War builds nothing; it destroys. The most sacred loss that cannot be recovered is the human lives lost. So I maintain this position,” said Lula.

“There is an aggressor, Russia, and a victim, Ukraine. We all want peace, but the two cannot be treated equally. Americans, Brazilians, Chinese, Indians—we must all pressure Russia to put an end to this war to this conflict, so that a robust peace can be negotiated and the war does not return,” declared Emmanuel Macron.

DEMOCRACY AND MULTILATERALISM – President Lula also highlighted three key issues he considers fundamental for international relations in today's geopolitics. “I am convinced that Brazil and France must grow even closer to continue defending three sacred principles: democracy, multilateralism, and free trade.”

“The rise of denialism and extreme right-wing radicalism—which refuses to recognize institutions or the truth and is gaining ground worldwide by attacking the very foundations that are the reason we still have the existence of the democratic regime in countries—is alarming. Defending democracy is not a small thing. It is an important thing. It is perhaps the most important duty we have. At no time can we afford to waver in defending these principles, which are sacred to humanity’s survival,” Lula concluded.