Brazil will not provide ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft tank. Germany had previously supplied it to Ukraine in order to be able to fight Russian air raids. In Brazil, on the other hand, they want to mediate peace.
Brazil is sticking to its strict no to the supply of tank ammunition to Ukraine. “We will not do that,” said Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira at the security conference in Munich in response to a question. “Instead of taking part in the war, we prefer to talk about peace,” he added. At the same time, Vieira emphasized his country’s willingness to mediate in negotiations for a ceasefire and later for peace. Brazil is ready to help “whenever possible”.
During a visit by Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Brazil at the end of January, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva brought his country into play as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine together with China and proposed the formation of a kind of “peace club”.
In the debate about ammunition deliveries, the federal government had been trying since April 2022 to get Brazilian ammunition for the German Gepard anti-aircraft tanks delivered to Ukraine. Scholz had received a rejection from Lula during his visit. Ammo for the Cheetah tanks is low.
Vieira defended the Brazilian government’s position of not supporting sanctions against Russia. Lula has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a violation of international law since the beginning of his administration. However, sanctions were not imposed because, under Brazilian law, they are only possible in the case of measures imposed by the UN Security Council. Against the background of the recently worsening conflict between the USA and China, the Secretary of State emphasized that his country has maintained excellent relations with both countries for a long time.
