Brazilian and Russian foreign ministers meet in US on same day as Putin’s nuclear threat

Foreign Minister Carlos França met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. signaled a veiled threat to use.

France and Lavrov met on the occasion of the annual meeting of world leaders at the UN Headquarters in New York. According to a Twitter post by Itamaraty, the two foreign ministers reiterated their concerns over the impact of international sanctions on Russia on global food and energy security.

“The Foreign Minister recalled Brazil’s position in favor of a diplomatic solution that leads to lasting peace in Ukraine, as repeated by the President in his speech to the UN General Assembly (UN General Assembly),” the ministry said.

Russia has faced a series of sanctions from the European Union and the United States since its invasion of Ukraine in February.

Putin summoned 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine on Wednesday, supporting his plan to annex parts of the neighboring country, implying that the West is ready to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia.

The announcement comes after Russian forces driven out of areas they had captured in northeastern Ukraine this month during a Ukrainian counteroffensive, with increasing casualties and setbacks on the battlefield.

According to Itamaraty, the two ministers also discussed issues on the bilateral agenda between Brazil and Russia.

“The dossier concerned the supply of fertilizers to Brazilian agribusiness. Russia is among Brazil’s top 15 trading partners and is the main supplier of fertilizers. Between January and August 2022, bilateral trade already totals $7.1 billion,” the dossier said.

When conflict broke out in Ukraine in February, it had a strong impact on the fertilizer supply as Brazil imported about 85% of its consumption.

The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the two countries will complete 194 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations on October 3, and that the strategic partnership contributes to cooperation initiatives in fields such as energy, space and agriculture.