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

Jair Bolsonaro.
(Image credit: Evaristo Sa/AFP via Getty Images)

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."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

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.