Russias foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has visited several Latin American nations as part of Moscows efforts to boost trade and investment ties with the countries of that region.
In Brazil, Lavrov called for the expansion of business relations between Moscow and Brasilia. He also met with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and thanked Brazil for its efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. Lula drew criticism from Washington on Monday for his recent remarks suggesting the West had been "encouraging" war in Ukraine by arming Kievs government. And in Venezuela, Lavrov emphasized the importance of joining forces against "Western sanctions blackmail".