Putin speaks by phone with Brazil’s president

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during his plane’s maintenance stopover in Moscow, the Kremlin said.

"A phone conversation took place between Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin and President of the Federal Republic of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during a technical stopover of the Brazilian presidential plane in Moscow on its way from China," the statement reads.

Lula da Silva announced his intention to return to Russia at a news conference in Beijing during his visit to China. He planned to discuss with Putin the upcoming Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul, Turkey. The Brazilian president made a brief stop in Moscow on Wednesday and then left Russia.