Jair Bolsonaro says Brazil 'will not take sides' between Russia and Ukraine


Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday said his country will "not take sides" in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, saying he does not want to "bring more problems to Brazil."
A reporter asked the far-right politician if he would condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, and Bolsonaro replied that he won't share his opinion on the matter until he sees how the situation ultimately plays out. He called the two countries "practically brother nations," and said "a big part of Ukraine's population speaks Russian." Brazil, Bolsonaro stated, "will continue being neutral, and help with whatever is possible."
In Brazil, the agriculture industry relies on fertilizer from Russia, and Bolsonaro said he does not support any sanctions on business that could "bring serious harm" to his country. He met with Putin in Moscow on Feb. 16, despite Western countries warning of an impending invasion, and told reporters on Sunday he does not believe Putin wants "to undertake a massacre, anywhere" in Ukraine.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Bolsonaro did have harsh words for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in the entertainment industry prior to taking office, declaring that Ukrainians "placed the hope of their nation in the hands of a comedian."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Stereophonic: an 'extraordinary, electrifying odyssey'
The Week Recommends David Adjmi's Broadway hit about a 1970s rock band struggling to record their second album comes to the West End
-
Shifty: a 'kaleidoscopic' portrait of late 20th-century Britain
The Week Recommends Adam Curtis' 'wickedly funny' documentary charts the country's decline using archive footage
-
June 19 editorial cartoons
Thursday’s political cartoons include a robot therapist and ICE-cold assault
-
Are the UK and Russia already at war?
Today's Big Question Moscow has long been on a 'menacing' war footing with London, says leading UK defence adviser
-
Is UK's new defence plan transformational or too little, too late?
Today's Big Question Labour's 10-year strategy 'an exercise in tightly bounded ambition' already 'overshadowed by a row over money'
-
How will the MoD's new cyber command unit work?
Today's Big Question Defence secretary outlines plans to combat 'intensifying' threat of cyberattacks from hostile states such as Russia
-
What are the different types of nuclear weapons?
The Explainer Speculation mounts that post-war taboo on nuclear weapons could soon be shattered by use of 'battlefield' missiles
-
The secret lives of Russian saboteurs
Under The Radar Moscow is recruiting criminal agents to sow chaos and fear among its enemies
-
Ukraine-Russia: is peace deal possible after Easter truce?
Today's Big Question 'Decisive week' will tell if Putin's surprise move was cynical PR stunt or genuine step towards ending war
-
What's behind Russia's biggest conscription drive in years?
Today's Big Question Putin calls up 160,000 men, sending a threatening message to Ukraine and Baltic states
-
Is the 'coalition of the willing' going to work?
Today's Big Question PM's proposal for UK/French-led peacekeeping force in Ukraine provokes 'hostility' in Moscow and 'derision' in Washington