Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he will urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey.

Speaking in Beijing on Wednesday, Lula stated that he intends to stop in Moscow and encourage Putin to join the meetings in Istanbul on Thursday, according to Al Jazeera.

The talks would be the first direct encounter between Kiev and Moscow since 2022.

Lula's comments come after Ukraine requested that Brazil assist in mediating, as well as a joint statement from Brazil and China backing direct negotiations as the only way to peace, Al Jazeera reported.