Meeting at G7 fell through as Zelenskiy was late: Lula da Silva

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said a meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Japan fell through because Zelenskiy was late.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a press conference at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, western Japan, Sunday, May 21, 2023. Louise Delmotte/Pool via REUTERS

HIROSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Monday a meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Japan fell through because Zelenskiy was late.

"I had an interview, a bilateral one with Ukraine here in this room at 3:15 p.m. We waited and received the information that he was late," Lula said.

Zelenskiy "did not show up ... Clearly he had appointments and he couldn't come," Lula said.

President Joe Biden sits with the President of Comoros, Azali Assoumani, Brazil's President, Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva, and Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau during a G7 working session on food, health and development during the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, Saturday, May 20, 2023. Susan Walsh/Pool via REUTERS

Zelenskiy had earlier played down the fact he did not meet with Lula.

(Reporting by Ekaterina Golubkova and Anthony Boadle; Editing by Gabriel Stargardter and Tom Hogue)