Sympathetic statements to Vladimir Putin by President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and pressure from agribusiness have been decisive for the Foreign Ministry to include in its official manifestations at the UN about the conflict in Ukraine, nods to Russia, government interlocutors told Folha.
In recent days, the Bolsonaro government has endorsed resolutions in the United Nations system that condemn the invasion of Ukrainian territory by Russian forces. But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has placed in statements signs that support arguments defended by Putin's government, in a move that worries American diplomats and allies.
Interlocutors say that the positions of the Itamaraty have been defined at the highest level and passed through the scrutiny of the Planalto. In some cases, the Minister of Defense, Braga Netto, is also called upon to give an opinion.
Brazil's ambassador to the United Nations, Ronaldo Costa Filho, supported a resolution that strongly criticized the military aggression promoted by the Kremlin. But in his speech, he addressed issues that have become a constant in the positions adopted by the Brazilian government: the fear that the sanctions taken against Moscow will harm Brazil's supply of fertilizers, essential for agribusiness.
In 2021, Russia, the main exporter of the product to the country, accounted for 22% of the total of these inputs purchased by the Brazilian market.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon