After Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro disregarded a U.S. request to call off his upcoming meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the Biden administration still hopes the right-wing South American leader takes the opportunity to defend “democratic principles” in Moscow.
Brazilian media reported that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked the Brazilian government to cancel the president’s trip out of concern for the message it would send when the international community is focused on defusing the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. A defiant Bolsonaro defended his travel plans, saying Brazil is a sovereign country and that he wanted to discuss trade and defense cooperation with Putin.
Short of canceling, the U.S. hopes Bolsonaro can give Putin the the right message.
