- Despite ongoing tensions on the border with Ukraine, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has confirmed his visit to Russia next week.
- A meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled for Wednesday.
“President Putin invited me. “Brazil is highly dependent on fertilizers from Russia and Belarus,” Bolsonaro told Radio Tupi. “We ask God to bring peace to the world.” And: “We will also take a group of ministers who deal with issues such as energy, defense and agriculture.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry also announced that there will be a meeting between the Russian and Brazilian foreign and defense ministers on Wednesday.
Pressure from Washington?
According to many analysts, Washington had previously put pressure on the Brazilian to cancel the visit. Brazil remains an official advocate of “dialogue” in the Russian-Western crisis, has taken care not to take sides and only addressed bilateral issues during the visit. However, the United States in particular fears that the visit could be taken as a sign of support for the Russian president.
There is a danger that President Bolsonaro will make a reckless statement.
According to observers, the president of Latin America’s largest country also wants to use the trip to show that he still has partners abroad. Given the timing, the trip drew criticism in Brazil. Experts described it as “important” but “inappropriate”.
“There is a danger that President Bolsonaro will make a reckless statement that could have serious consequences,” said political expert Mauricio Santoro. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brasília issued a statement on Friday marking 30 years of diplomatic relations with Ukraine.
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