Brazil exercises sovereignty by supporting Russia's UN Security Council resolution

Having supported the UN investigation into the Nord Stream blasts, Brazil has shown that it is a sovereign country that Russia may rely on.

Brazil unexpectedly supported Russia and China resolution at the UN Security Council to conduct an investigation into the Nord Stream blasts. Twelve other members of the Security Council abstained from voting on March 27. Russia co-authored the resolution with China and several countries outside the Council, such as

• Belarus,
• North Korea,
• Eritrea,
• Nicaragua,
• Venezuela,
• Syria.

They appealed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres requesting a commission be established to conduct a comprehensive, transparent and impartial international investigation into all aspects of the sabotage of Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, as well as to identify the perpetrators, organizers and accomplices. The resolution was dismissed.

Dmitry Polyansky, Deputy Russian Ambassador to the UN, said that it was easy for Russia to work with Brazilian diplomats at the UN. According to the official, there are five countries the delegations of which were most constructive in relation to Russia at the UN. The list includes:

• China,
• Brazil,
• UAE,
• Mozambique,
• Malta.

China as Brazil's largest trading partner

Brazil's economic ties with China and Russia are more important than those with the US.

China is Brazil's largest trading partner. Brazil exports soybeans to China. This is Brazil's top agricultural export product that brought as much as $29 billion in revenues in 2022. Iron ore comes next with 20 percent of all exports in 2022 and crude oil — with 18 percent.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will soon travel to China propose the "peace club" of countries for the conflict in Ukraine to end. This puts Lula and Xi Jinping in opposition to the West. It just so happens that if they make "the peace club," then Biden et al. are members of the "war club."

Brazil needs fertilizers and diesel fuel from Russia

It is important for Brazil to develop trade with the Russian Federation too as Russia is the top supplier of fertilizers and diesel fuel for agricultural equipment. Brazil needs these products to grow soybeans for China.

Brazil imports 85 percent of fertilizers required for the production of soybeans, corn, sugarcane and cotton. Russia accounts for 23 percent of 40-million-ton imports.

One should also bear in mind cooperation between Russia, China and Brazil within the framework of the BRICS. The Russian Federation supports Brazil's desire to become a permanent member of the UN, while Brazilian diplomats refused to support the decision of the International Criminal Court to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin is friends with Lula

The personal factor also matters. Putin has a good relationship with Lula. During his previous terms in the office as Brazilian President, Lula was looking for options for the implementation of Iran's nuclear programme. His position was in unison with that of Russia. He supported the ALBA bloc in Latin America. With Lula as President, Brazil joined the BRICS and abolished the visa entry with Russia. Moscow condemned the coup in Brazil, when Dilma Rousseff, Lula's successor, was removed from power in 2016.

During the current election campaign, when commenting on the special military operation in Ukraine, Lula criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the West and said that the Ukrainian leader was "responsible for the war" in the first place. 

It is worthy of note that Brazil did not succumb to Washington during Jair Bolsonaro's presidency either. This suggests that Brazil, both under left and right politicians, is a sovereign country that Russia can rely on.