Lula cancels Russia visit due to injury, to join BRICS summit virtually

Brazilian President Lula da Silva, aged 78, has sustained a head injury leading to the cancellation of his trip to Russia for the BRICS summit. He will instead join the meetings virtually from Brasília after being advised by medical professionals to avoid long-distance travel for the time being.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva suffered a head injury at home over the weekend, leading to the cancellation of his anticipated trip to Russia for the BRICS summit. The 78-year-old was expected to leave on Sunday afternoon to meet with leaders from major developing nations such as Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

According to the Sírio-Libanês Hospital in Brasília, Lula has been advised to refrain from long-haul flights for the time being as he recovers from a laceration at the back of his head. However, he is cleared to continue conducting his regular duties and will join the summit via video link from Brasília instead.

Details regarding the specifics of his injury were not disclosed by the president's office. Local media reported that he had to receive five stitches and was briefly hospitalized before returning for follow-up care.

This summit, which takes place in Kazan, Russia from Tuesday through Thursday, would have marked Lula's first in-person meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin this year. In a related development, Putin announced last week that he would not be attending the upcoming G20 summit in Brazil, managing concerns regarding the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued against him.

The BRICS coalition was established 15 years ago as an alternative to western-led forums such as the G7, and it has recently expanded to include additional countries, further solidifying its presence on the global stage. As Lula transitions to virtual participation, the dynamics of the summit, in light of key leaders' absences, warrants further scrutiny.