RIO DE JANEIRO, February 16. /TASS/. Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said after talks with Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin that his country expresses solidarity with all peace-loving states.
"We share common values, such as faith in God and the protection of the family. We stand together with all countries that cherish peace and exert efforts to this end," Bolsonaro said in a statement for the media. "The globe is our common home. We pray for peace and respect all those who act in the same spirit. After all, this meets our common interests," he added.
Preparations for Bolsonaro’s visit to Moscow proceeded amid Washington’s diplomatic pressures for cancelling the trip. The local daily Folha de S. Paolo says Washington was keen to try to achieve isolation of the Russian leader in the context of current tensions in relations between Moscow and NATO over Ukraine. According to the periodical, US diplomats have been expressing worries over the timeliness of this visit, because, in the opinion of the White House, the very fact that Putin will welcome Bolsonaro will be interpreted as evidence Brazil supports the Kremlin’s actions in Eastern Europe and legitimizes what the United States regards as a violation of international law.
Ahead of his trip to Moscow Bolsonaro said he had no doubts the visit would be a success. Also, he stressed that Brazil had no intention of touching upon the issue of an aggravation of Russia-NATO relations over Ukraine, contrary to Washington’s pressures and Kiev’s calls.