Brazil understands Russia’s concerns about Ukraine, says Russian ambassador

Russian Ambassador to Brazil Alexei Labetski opined in an interview with Sputnik that Brazilians understand the concerns that pushed Russia to launch a special military operation in Ukraine.

“It seems to me that, in Brazil, they are aware of the real causes that led to the special military operation.

“They indeed maintain a moral position, endorsed in the vote by the [UN] General Assembly resolution, condemning our actions in Ukraine, but there is also what we perceive as an indication that the Brazilians understand our concerns.

“I mean their rejection of the sanctions regime and any attempts to exclude us from the system of international bodies,” Labetski said.

The Russian diplomat thanked Brazil for its understanding. “We highly appreciate such understanding and cooperation,” he noted.

The ambassador recalled that the two countries’ foreign ministers held several meetings in recent months.

He added that Brazil and Russia actively cooperate in the United Nations Security Council and on the international platforms in Geneva and Vienna.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered last February 24 to launch a military operation in Ukraine, adding that the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, previously recognized by Moscow as sovereign states, need help in the face of what he described as genocide by Kiev.

One of the key objectives of the operation is what Putin defined as the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.

NEW TRADE RECORDS

Labetski confirmed his confidence that the trade exchange between the two countries will set another record in 2022.

“Last year, the trade exchange reached a record level of US$7.5 billion. I am confident that we will surpass this figure in the current year.

“In the first nine months, according to statistics from the Brazilian side, bilateral trade stood at US$7.2 billion,” the ambassador told Sputnik.

According to the diplomat, that result is attributable to several factors.

“Brazil has not joined – and, we hope, will not join – the sanctions [against Russia]. It is a moral position that we appreciate very much,” he mentioned.

Moreover, the ambassador highlighted the importance of two lines of business for both economies.

“I am referring to fertilizers and agricultural products; we will go ahead in those items precisely because of the sanctions in force,” he specified.

Regarding developing new payment, insurance, and logistics schemes in the Russian-Brazilian trade, Labetski opined that the result of the first nine months of 2022 speaks for itself.

“It is hard work, but it is progressing,” he noted.

In his interview with Sputnik, the ambassador indicated that Brasilia and Moscow are studying several new joint projects.

“We hold discussions on energy projects, hydrocarbons, fertilizers, and agricultural products,” he noted.

Labetski called Brazil an “agricultural superpower,” capable of meeting the food needs of more than a billion people today, according to local authorities.

“They need fertilizers and will do their best to acquire and produce them locally so that agribusiness remains the engine of national development,” the diplomat surmised.

According to the ambassador, other cooperation projects being discussed at the expert level are related to nuclear energy and railway construction.

THE FUTURE OF BRICS

The BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) will grow stronger in new political conditions, Labetski predicted.

“I do not doubt that BRICS will become stronger in the future; not only will it expand its format, but it also will remain one of the crucial tools of the global economy,” he emphasized.

He recalled that the organization represents “a completed format of international cooperation, with its own weight, voice, and agenda”.

The BRICS group is an informal intergovernmental economic and trade association of five rapidly developing countries aiming to promote dialogue and multilateral cooperation.

With information from Sputnik