RIO DE JANEIRO, February 9. /TASS/. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s upcoming visit to Moscow, due on February 14-17, is unlikely to complicate relations between Brasilia and Washington, Brazilian Vice President Antonio Hamilton Mourao told the Valor Economico newspaper on Tuesday.
In his opinion, by persuading Bolsonaro to refrain from visiting Russia, "the United States is trying to use its ability to overpersuade."
"But this is a routine thing. I have not been informed about the contents of the conversation between [US Secretary of State] Antony Blinken and [Brazilian] Foreign Minister Carlos Franca, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. The visit will not cause any difficulties," the official added.
The United States is putting pressure on Brazil in a bid to have President Jair Bolsonaro’s upcoming visit to Russia cancelled, the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper reported on January 31, citing Brazilian Foreign Ministry sources.
According to the paper, Washington’s aim is to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the current situation in Russia-NATO relations and Ukraine-related developments. The report says US diplomats have expressed their concerns about the timeframe of the visit, because, in their opinion, the meeting of the Russian and Brazilian presidents would signal Brazil’s support to Russia’s policies in Eastern Europe and legitimize what Washington sees as violations of the international law.
The US embassy in Brasilia reaffirmed the US Department of State’s stance to Folha de Sao Paulo, saying that the United States, Brazil and other democratic countries have a responsibility to uphold diplomatic principles and the rule-based order, and should deliver this message to Russia at every opportunity. Bolsonaro said, however, that he did not plan to raise the issue of Russia-NATO relations or discuss the situation surrounding Ukraine during his upcoming visit. A number of Brazilian media outlets criticized the president’s plans.