RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian government on Saturday lamented the “unconstructive” and “unhelpful” criticism by White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki on President Jair Bolsonaro’s trip to Russia in the midst of escalating international tensions over Ukraine.
“Brazil’s positions on the situation in Ukraine are clear, public and were repeatedly conveyed to the authorities of friendly countries and expressed within the scope of the United Nations Security Council,” said the Brazilian Foreign Ministry in an official note.
Bolsonaro’s administration thus responded to statements made by Psaki on Friday, when she said that Brazil “seems to be in the opposite side of where most of the global community is,” when referring to the President’s trip to Russia last week.
Bolsonaro, who declares himself a “friend” of ex-President Donald Trump, made an official trip to Russia between Monday and Thursday, where he met with Vladimir Putin.
In Moscow, Bolsonaro said he was “in solidarity” with Russia, not mentioning on which matter, and reiterated that he wants “peace in the world,” at a time when thousands of Russian soldiers are deployed on the border with Ukraine.
The day before, Bolsonaro insisted that his visit to Russia was for purely economic reasons and that at no time was it to “take sides” with any of the opposing parties.
Bolsonaro’s visit to Moscow also triggered criticism from far-right activists who support his government. One of the harshest was Ernesto Araújo, who served as Foreign Minister during the first two years of Bolsonaro’s administration and protested against the President’s visit to Russia, a country he accused of “supporting narco-socialist regimes,” among which he cited the case of Venezuela.