Brasilia, 26 March 2022 (TDI): The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Carlos Franca, has criticized the economic sanctions against Russia.
He said in an interview that “As far as I understand, sanctions are a kind of weapon with which Europe and the US can currently respond to the situation in Ukraine”.
Previously, the Foreign Minister also said that Brazil is “clearly opposed” to barring Russia from the G20. This came after US President, Joe Biden led a push to exclude Russia from the group due to its military operation in Ukraine.
The G20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising of some of the world’s largest economies. It works to address issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation, and sustainable development.
The Foreign Minister said, “We’ve seen initiatives emerge in various international organizations to expel or suspend Russia. Brazil is clearly opposed to those initiatives, in line with our traditional position in favor of multilateralism and international law,” in a Senate session on Thursday.
President Joe Biden is in favor of kicking Russia out of the forum, or including Ukraine as well it fails to achieve Russian expulsion.
Moreover, the Brazilian Foreign Minister said that the proper forum for debating issues of peace and security is the United Nations and not the G20.
He expressed that the most important thing under the current circumstances is to have all international forums fully functioning. “And that means having all countries present, including Russia,” he said.
The call for Russian expulsion has divided the G20 countries.
With Australia and European countries wanting to bar the country from the next G20 summit. While China opposes such a move. Some countries, such as Indonesia, remain “impartial”.
Brazil’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict
The Brazilian government has insisted that it will remain neutral in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Along with India, China, the UAE, and South Africa, among others.
Brazil has refused to condemn the Russian invasion in categorical terms. It has called on all parties to solve mutual issues through dialogue.
