Some Latin American countries act because of a “prior commitment to Russia”, says Ukrainian diplomat

When It is exactly one year since the war Invasion of Russia in the territory of Ukraine, the support of some Latin American governments for a negotiated peace contrasts with that of other nations affiliated with the left and their open position on the side of Moscow.

In responses to the voice of americathe representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for Latin America, Ruslan Spirin, spoke about this dichotomy that seems to divide the consensus in the region, as well as about the role of China and its rapprochement with Moscow in the midst of US sanctions. and the European Union, on the one hand, and the majority rejection at the international level on the other.

“There are some countries that have a prior commitment to Russia and simply do not feel entitled to deny what Russia is asking them to do because it sends them a million dollar amount, weapons, something like that, or they simply do not have the complete information to make a decision like this one,” said Spirin, referring to nations such as Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, which have repeatedly expressed their support for the Kremlin.

President Voldymyr Zelenskyy has proposed a plan of ten fundamental points for what he considers would be the scope of a “just and lasting” peace -Spirin considered- to which Putin has responded that Ukraine must accept “the new territorial realities”, referring to his intentions to seize some territories and what was criticized this Friday by the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken.

In Latin America, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Mexico have called for a negotiated solution to the conflict, derived from the unprovoked invasion of Russia.

On January 31, during a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Sao Paulo, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who just took up his third term in January, explained why he decided not to send ammunition: “because we don’t want the war to continue with Russia”. “It is necessary to urgently find those who can broker peace, a word rarely used in this conflict,” he asserted.

Spirin, for his part, also thanked and encouraged the latter – “we agree, we are also looking for peace” – and urged them to “use their influence with Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine”.

the role of china

The Ukrainian diplomat spoke of the role China is playing in a possible arms shipment to help Moscow. “We do not have the exact information,” he said, however he appealed to the diplomatic arts of the Asian giant. “China’s diplomacy is very wise,” he said.

A twelve-point plan proposed by China this week was met with skepticism by the Westwhile the US considers, according to Blinken, now providing “lethal aid” to Russia.

Spirin addressed Beijing’s moves at a time when sanctions from the democratic world are taking their toll on Russia’s economy and hegemonic reach.

“What China is doing is reaching the international political scene as one of the most important players,” he said, explaining that Beijing has not directly supported Russia now that Putin has been labeled “a violator of international law and has broken a nuclear pact this week.

On another plane, Spirin told the VOAthe Chinese government “is buying all the raw materials from Russia at the lowest possible prices (…) and when one of China’s top diplomats comes to Russia to negotiate, he doesn’t come in as a partner, he comes in as a owner who is then going to tell Putin what he can do and what he will not be able to do ”, he settled.

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