Bolsonaro Is Set to Meet With Putin, and Ukraine Isn’t on Agenda
- He seeks to change domestic perception of an isolated leader
- Brazil says Russia trip was long planned to discuss trade
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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro landed in the middle of a diplomatic whirlwind in Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. But rather than adding his voice to those seeking to end the standoff over Ukraine, Bolsonaro is trying to put on a show for his domestic audience.
The visit by Bolsonaro, who will meet with Putin Wednesday, is part of an attempt to improve trade with a strategic partner. The Brazilian government says it is seeking to ease restrictions imposed by the Kremlin on exports of products that the Latin American agricultural powerhouse desperately needs: 85% of all fertilizers used in Brazil are imported, and 22% of them come from Russia.