MEXICO CITY: Brazil's ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned Thursday that a new Cold War could put the survival of humanity at risk, calling for a peaceful solution in Ukraine.

"The great powers need to understand that we do not want to be anyone's enemy," Lula, who leads in the polls ahead of October presidential elections, told lawmakers during a visit to Mexico.

"We are not interested... in a new Cold War involving the United States, China or Russia, dragging the entire planet into a conflict that could put humanity's very survival at risk," he added.

Lula, who was invited to address Congress and also met with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said the conflict in Ukraine must be resolved through negotiation.

"It is unacceptable for a country to feel that it has the right to install military bases around another country. It is unacceptable for a country to react by invading another. Wars do not lead to anything. They lead only to death, destruction, misery and hunger," he said.