Russia’s war in Ukraine is “compounding” pre-existing international problems, Finland’s president says

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday called for diplomacy as the best way to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine.

In an address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Bolsonaro said the first step toward lasting peace must be “an immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians and noncombatants, the preservation of critical infrastructure to assist the population.”

Bolsonaro said Brazil does not see sanctions against Russia as a viable way to end the seven-month conflict that started following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We do not believe that the best way is to adopt unilateral and selective sanctions that are inconsistent with international law. These measures have harmed the economic recovery and threatened the human rights of vulnerable populations, including in European countries,” Bolsonaro said.

“The solution to the conflict in Ukraine will only be achieved through negotiation and dialogue,” he said.

Some context: In April, Reuters reported Russia asked Brazil for support in the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the G20 group of top economies in the face of sanctions.

Bolsonaro, who has kept Brazil neutral in the Ukraine crisis, expressed “solidarity” when he visited Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 16, about a week before the invasion began. Brazilian Foreign Minister Carlos Franca previously said Brazil opposes the expulsion of Russia from the G20.