The US is pressuring Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, to call off his visit to Moscow in February. The American officials warn Bolsonaro that his visit can be interpreted as taking sides amid tensions on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
“During a Sunday phone call with Brazilian Foreign Minister, Carlos Franca, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, expressed concerns again that the president’s visit might be interpreted as a sign that Brazil takes a side in the conflict,” sources in the Brazilian Foreign Ministry told on Monday, January 31.
According to the newspaper that published this information, Washington does not explicitly request a change to the agenda of the talks but makes it clear that the US is working to have the trip cancelled or at least postponed. The Biden administration reportedly held similar talks with Argentina concerning President Alberto Fernandez‘s visit to Russia later this week.
According to the unnamed sources close to the American diplomats, the Bolsonaro’s trip will indicate that “Brazil supports the Kremlin’s actions in Eastern Europe, legitimizes what the United States considers a violation of international law.”
The administration of Joe Biden believes that the cancellation or postponement of the trip will demonstrate that “Putin faces diplomatic isolation if he does not reduce his military presence near the border with Ukraine.”
However, the Brazilian government is still reluctant to cancel the visit to Moscow, and the sides are expected to discuss a wide agenda of bilateral relations and partnerships within BRICS. On Tuesday, Bolsonaro said in an interview that he is not going to raise the issue of the Ukrainian crisis during the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ru-Main, 02.02.2022
Source: RBC
