Brazil’s president says Western sanctions against Russia have failed

Brazil’s president has said that the economic sanctions imposed by the West against Russia had not worked.

“The economic barriers that the United States and Europe imposed against Russia did not work,” Jair Bolsonaro told supporters, adding that his position towards Putin and the war “was one of balance”.

Bolsonaro said that stance had allowed him to acquire fertilisers, a key input for Brazil’s vast agricultural sector, from Russia. He also said Russia shared Brazil’s concerns over “sovereignty” of the Amazon. The president has often described criticism by other nations of his stewardship of the rainforest as an infringement on Brazil’s sovereignty.