Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed ties between Russia and Brazil on February 16 as he hosted Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for talks at the Kremlin.
Bolsonaro snubbed U.S. calls to call off his trip, his first to Russia as Brazil’s leader. The visit came at a point of heightened tensions between Moscow and the West fueled by fears that Russia plans to invade Ukraine.
The United States and other Western countries are engaged in intense diplomatic efforts to dissuade Putin from ordering an invasion. Moscow denies it has any such intention.
The two leaders didn’t mention Ukraine during their opening remarks or during a news conference after the talks. However, the Brazilian far-right nationalist said: "We pray for peace and respect all who act in that way."
Photos of their meeting showed them seated in chairs with just a small table between them. That contrasted with images of Putin’s recent meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in which a table several meters long stretched out between them. Kremlin officials said the distance was necessary under coronavirus precautions.
Putin told the news conference that he and Bolsonaro had thorough, constructive talks.
“Russia and Brazil are traditionally united by relations of friendship and mutual understanding. The strategic partnership between our countries covers a variety of areas. We jointly strive to develop political, economic, and humanitarian ties; we closely cooperate on the international stage,” Putin said.
Bolsonaro said the two countries “share common values, such as the belief in God and the defense of family.” He also noted that Brazil is interested in small nuclear reactors made by the Russian state energy firm Rosatom.
Rosatom signed an agreement in September with Brazil's state-owned Eletronuclear to cooperate on the construction and maintenance of nuclear power plants, the processing of nuclear materials, and radioactive waste management.
Bolsonaro's two-hour talk with Putin also included discussions about sales of fertilizers and cooperation on defense.