Ukraine's Ambassador explains Brazil's rapid rapprochement with Russia
Photo: Ambassador of Ukraine to Brazil Andrii Melnyk (Getty Images)
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the formal strategic partnership between Brazil and Russia has become a strategic one in substance, Ambassador of Ukraine to Brazil Andrii Melnyk says in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
According to Melnyk, Brazil is currently focused on cooperation with Russia, and the country's diplomatic goals have run in the opposite direction from Ukraine.
"In my opinion, we should always be realistic and set ourselves realistic goals. Today, the truth is that Brazil's political beau monde, and I mean not only the current leftist government, but the entire political elite in general, does not see any benefit in developing relations with Ukraine. We are not among their priorities, neither in terms of geopolitics, nor in terms of economy and trade," the Ambassador said.
Over the past three years, Russia has become not just one of Brazil's main trading partners, entering the top 5 largest importers. It has also become one of the largest suppliers of goods that are truly critical to Brazil's economy: diesel and mineral fertilizers.
"As of today, Russia has become a de facto monopolist in diesel imports. Its share in the Brazilian market is 65% of all diesel imports. Just think about it - 65% is two-thirds! Before the large-scale invasion of Ukraine, this share was less than 1% in 2021," the diplomat said.
In his opinion, thanks to dumping prices due to Western sanctions, the Russians were able to push the Americans out of the Brazilian market. Currently, the US market share in Brazil is only 15%.
"Brazil paid Russia almost $10 billion for 6.5 million tons of diesel. In other words, for comparison, it is about one-tenth of the total defense budget of Russia. With this money, the Kremlin can finance its military campaign against Ukraine for more than a month. This is our vision of diesel supplies," the Ambassador said.
Why diesel is important for Brazil
According to the Ambassador, diesel in Brazil is one of the main factors in curbing inflation.
"What is inflation control? This is one of Lula's biggest challenges ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections that will take place next fall. And the recent sharp rise in prices for basic products threatens the support of Lula's core constituency, the poorest segments of the population. That's diesel diplomacy for you," Melnyk said.
He noted that a similar situation is observed concerning wheat imports: during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the volume of supplies from Russia to Brazil increased thirtyfold: from 28,000 tons in 2021 to 900,000 tons in 2023.
According to the Ambassador, the Russians are now in second place among suppliers after Argentina and occupy more than 20% of the Brazilian market. And all thanks to significant discounts, about $60 per ton, which Russia has offered to its Brazilian allies since 2022.
"Not to mention the fact that Russia has been and remains a key player in the import of mineral fertilizers, which affect the yields and profits of the agro-industrial complex (its market share ranges between 20 and 25%, with a value of about $4 billion a year). I don't remember a single meeting with Brazilian politicians who didn't mention the importance of Russian fertilizers," the Ambassador emphasized.
G20 Summit in Brazil
Last year, the G20 summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the time, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reminded the audience of the principle that nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. He emphasized that Kyiv supported efforts to achieve a just world, but would not adopt initiatives developed without Ukraine's participation.
Then, Brazilian President Lula da Silva accelerated the adoption of the final communiqué to avoid disputes about Russia's role in the war against Ukraine. This, in turn, drew criticism from EU leaders.
