UFA (Sputnik) – Brazil does not recognize the use of unilateral sanctions outside the UN legal field as they hurt the economic situation in the region of application and their legitimacy raises doubts, Brazilian Minister of External Relations Mauro Vieira told Sputnik Brazil.
"Brazil generally does not recognize sanctions applied outside of the UN legal field… We consider unilateral sanctions a tool the legitimacy of which is questionable," Vieira said, answering a question about Brazil’s position on anti-Russia sanctions imposed on Moscow by the West.
"That’s why we do not recognize or support them," Vieira said, adding that sanctions do not contribute to the building of a relationship of trust between parties for a peaceful political settlement of existing issues and hamper the resumption of economic growth in the region where they are applied.
According to the Brazilian foreign minister, a political dialogue is the most effective means of resolving any conflict.
Russia’s relations with the West worsened in light of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The European Union, the United States and several other Western countries have accused Moscow of meddling in Ukraine’s internal affairs and imposed several rounds of sanctions, targeting Russia’s finance, energy and defense sectors, as well as certain individuals. In response, Russia banned foodstuffs from the countries that imposed the restrictive measures in August 2014.
