Presidents of Brazil and Hungary reject Western sanctions against Russia

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Hungarian President Katalin Novák on Monday rejected Western sanctions against Russia over the armed conflict with Ukraine during a trip to Brazil after being received by her Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro.

“We know that the sanctions adopted will not lead to any result… The economy in the world is deteriorating, and there is food insecurity in various parts of the world. These are the dangers we must avoid,” Novák said after an official ceremony at the Planalto Palace (seat of the executive branch).

The Hungarian politician, who has been her country’s president since May 10 and has been on an official visit to the South American country since Saturday that includes stops in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, shares a conservative agenda with Bolsonaro on customs, as she opposes abortion, for example.

In a joint statement with the conservative leader, Novák said sanctions against Moscow produce “no results” and “we want peace, both me and Bolsonaro.”

For his part, the Brazilian leader again defended his trip to Russia in February, saying Brazil wants peace and will “do everything” to achieve it.

“We know that sometimes the truth hurts, but there is no other way than this to achieve peaceful coexistence between peoples,” he said.

He reported that during a visit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, he managed to secure the supply of fertilizers for Brazil’s agricultural industry.

“Brazil has maintained its position of balance. Of course, I want there to be no war,” he said.

After the meeting with Novák, he told the press that the two discussed “various issues of economic interest” and possible future agreements.

In a recent video posted on social media, the former military officer called the sanctions imposed on Russia by the West and the United States a mistake.

On July 7, he said that U.S. President Joe Biden and Europe “have made a mistake and are paying dearly with the sanctions (against Russia). Their peoples suffer from food prices, fuel price increases, and the cutting off of Russian gas to Europe.”

Bolsonaro shared on the app TikTok a video of a person, a foreign policy expert, criticizing the actions of Biden and the European Union in the war in Ukraine and the sanctions policy.