Argentina and Brazil refuse to send weapons to kyiv

First modification: 01/30/2023 – 10:22Last modification: 01/30/2023 – 10:23

Argentine President Alberto Fernández declared on Saturday at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was visiting Buenos Aires, that he expected “the end of hostilities as soon as possible” after “the Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory “. “Russia must understand the damage it is causing in the southern hemisphere,” he added, referring to the repercussions of the war on “food prices and hunger.”

However, the Argentine president reiterated that his country would not deliver weapons to Ukraine. He declined to comment on Germany’s recent decision to supply tanks to Ukraine, stressing that “Argentina and Latin America are not considering sending weapons to Ukraine or any other place of conflict.”

According to the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, the newly elected Brazilian president, Lula da Silva, has rejected the German government’s request to supply ammunition for the Leopard-1 main battle tank that will be sent to Ukraine.

While the head of the Brazilian army, Julio Cesar Arruda, praised the economic interests of such a delivery, the Brazilian president opposed such an operation, arguing that “it was not worth provoking the Russians,” detailed the Folha newspaper. This decision by the new Brazilian head of state came one day before Julio César Arruda was removed from his command post.

The Folha newspaper also reports that Colombia recently refused delivery of old Soviet-made Mi-9 and Mi-17 helicopters.

The Pentagon pressures Latin America to send weapons to Ukraine

The head of the US Southern Command, Laura Richardson, asked Latin American countries days ago to cede their Russian military equipment to Ukraine, highlighting the growing influence of powers like Russia and China in a region that is of particular importance to Washington. In turn, she offers to replace the weapons sold by Moscow with American equipment.