Brazil rules out joining sanctions against Russia, assesses Planalto

The Brazilian government rules out adopting economic sanctions against Russia. The assessment in the Planalto Palace, endorsed by Brazilian diplomacy, is that the sanctions end up worsening the world economic situation, especially in less developed countries, such as Brazil.

In addition, there is a reading that unilateral sanctions are unlawful and incompatible with the principles of the United Nations Charter. However, there has been no indisposition from the countries that lead the sanctions, such as the United States, Japan and the European Union, regarding the Brazilian position on rejecting sanctions against Russia, according to government sources.

Even because, according to these sources, this has been a historical Brazilian position. For example, by condemning US sanctions on Cuba. More recently, Brazil’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ronaldo Couto Filho, took a stand against sanctions on Yemen, which is involved in a conflict with neighboring countries.

On another front, Brazil has also spoken out against a proposal for a resolution presented by France and Mexico at the UN Security Council that deals with humanitarian issues in the Ukraine war.

Negotiations on this project are at a standstill, according to a source involved in the negotiations. The reason is that the United States and the United Kingdom have forced a text considered highly condemnatory to the Russians, and other countries, such as China, Russia and France, have defended something in a lesser tone against the Russians.

Brazil positioned itself in this debate alongside these countries, that is, in the defense that it is necessary to balance the text and focus more on meeting the needs of the Ukrainian population than on criticizing Russia.