The US embassy charge d’affaires, Douglas Koneff, said this Thursday (24) that Brazil’s voice in relation to Russia’s war against Ukraine “matters a lot” and that he hopes the Brazilian government will take a stand.
The diplomat mentioned the fact that Brazil has a seat on the United Nations Security Council and said that speeches that condemn Russian actions help to reduce the crisis in Eastern Europe.
The statements were made after Koneff was asked about the silence of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) on the matter. In his first and only manifestation so far about the invasion, the president said he was “totally committed” to protecting Brazilians in the region.
“To seek any position from the president [Bolsonaro]I would have to look for the Planalto, but the speeches that condemn Russian actions that violate the laws help a lot to reduce this crisis”, said Koneff, who currently replaces the US ambassador to Brazil. He added that the relief of the conflict will take place with the withdrawal of troops from Russia and the end of any aggression against Ukrainian territory.
“Governments and individuals are positioning themselves at all times, and we expect any position that condemns Russian actions”, continued the diplomat, speaking about Brazil.
Koneff also said that Brazil is also important for being part of the conversations that took place in New York about the conflict and elsewhere to try to resolve the problem. “Any speech that condemns Russian actions on these violations of international law is something very important that any country can do,” he said.
The ambassador also said that we are experiencing the biggest invasion from one European country to another since the Second World War and that the United States and allies are working with strong sanctions against Russia.
