Kiev reportedly worried that low attendance would demonstrate a lack of support for its cause

The Ukrainian government has canceled a planned meeting between Vladimir Zelensky and Latin American leaders out of fear it would turn into a PR disaster, Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported on Tuesday. Very few leaders confirmed that they would be willing to attend such an event, however, the paper wrote. 

Kiev initially planned to hold the talks on the sidelines of the upcoming UN General Assembly scheduled to convene on September 24. According to Folha, the idea behind the meeting was to demonstrate symbolic support for Kiev’s cause in its ongoing conflict with Moscow. 

Ukrainian officials reportedly said it would be “an appropriate platform” for Zelensky to present what they called “relevant and reliable information” about the conflict. Kiev also wanted to rally support for the so-called Zelensky ‘peace formula’ – a set of demands put forward by Ukraine as pre-conditions for potential peace talks. Moscow has repeatedly rejected those demands as unacceptable.

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Kiev had to scrap its plans after it received only “few confirmations of attendance,” Folha reported, adding that the Ukrainian government decided it was “necessary to avoid a situation that could possibly be interpreted as a lack of support.” The paper did not name the exact number of confirmations. Nor did it name any leaders who supposedly said they would attend the event, except for Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo.

Ukraine has been receiving steady support from the West since the armed conflict with Russia broke out in February 2022, but has failed to win much backing in the other parts of the world. Many Asian, African and South American countries, including China, India, and Brazil, chose to remain neutral and have been calling for a diplomatic resolution. 

Most recently, Mexico’s president-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum, told journalists she would pursue a policy of non-intervention on the world stage and had no plans to make a state visit to Ukraine. “Searching for the peaceful resolution of conflicts is the cornerstone of our foreign policy. This is our policy, and it won’t change,” she said on Wednesday.

READ MORE: Zelensky accuses Brazil and China of colluding with Russia

Kiev has dismissed any proposals that did not fall in line with the ‘Zelensky formula’ as playing into Moscow’s hands. Last week, Zelensky rejected a six-point roadmap proposed by China and Brazil as “destructive.” Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva responded by reiterating that he would not allow his country to be dragged into the conflict.