Bolsonaro advised to avoid mentioning Ukraine on trip to Russia

For an official trip to Russia, which is scheduled for departure this Monday (14), President Jair Bolsonaro was advised to avoid dealing with the worsening relationship between Russia and Ukraine.

The recommendation was given, according to reports made to the CNNboth by auxiliaries of the political articulation and of the economic team, in an attempt to avoid a diplomatic incident with the United States.

According to members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if the issue is addressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the orientation is for the Brazilian government to defend a peaceful solution to the conflict.

In recent weeks, aides to the president have tried to convince him to postpone the trip, in the face of pressure from the US government that a meeting at this time could be exploited by the Russian government as a nod of support.

Bolsonaro, however, insisted on the trip and told CNN that the agenda of the meeting with the Russian president will be diversified. He stressed that Brazil’s foreign policy has always been “for peace and respect for the sovereignty of other countries”.

The main fear of Bolsonaro’s presence in Russia is the impact, both diplomatic and economic, that the official visit may cause, especially with the United States, Brazil’s second largest trading partner.

The trip was even the subject of a recent phone call between US Secretary Anthony Blinken and Brazilian Foreign Minister Carlos França.

In addition, according to government military reports, there is fear in the GSI (Institutional Security Office) regarding the security of the president, in the face of the intensification of the conflict or even the beginning of a war during Bolsonaro’s visit.