Mourão extends distance from Bolsonaro by praising Zelensky and waving to Boric

In a new distance from the President of the Republic, Jair Bolsonaro, Vice President Hamilton Mourão (PRTB, but changing to Republicans) this Monday praised the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and waved to the president-elect of the Chile, the leftist Gabriel Boric.

Bolsonaro has been urged for a firmer stance on the war against Ukraine initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, a week after the Brazilian Chief Executive’s official visit to Moscow. The supposed “exemption” stance has been interpreted as veiled support for the Russians due to Brazil’s dependence on the country’s fertilizers and identifications with Putin’s conservative side.

“President Zelensky has shown himself to be an extremely capable and efficient leadership,” Mourão told reporters upon arrival at the Planalto Palace.

The general also assessed that Russia has “limited goals” in Ukraine. “From what I can see, the Russian objective would be limited, to advance to a north-south line and marked by the Dnieper River, including the capital Kiev”, continued the vice president, for whom the war “will take a little while yet” .

Mourão, who travels on Wednesday to Boric’s inauguration in Santiago, also waved to Chile’s new president. “I will take a formal message of wishing President Boric success in the task that the Chilean people have entrusted to him and of maintaining our ties, not only of friendship, but of our economic-social relationship,” he said.

From the right, Bolsonaro decided not to attend the inauguration of the leftist Boric and will be represented by Mourão. The Brazilian government only congratulated the elected president of Chile for the victory four days after the results of the polls were announced.