Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has rejected requests to send Leopard tank ammunition to Germany over fears that it would be transferred to Ukraine.
According to a report by local media outlet Folha de Sao Paulo, former Brazilian ground forces commander Julio Cesar de Arruda made the request before he was relieved of his post earlier this month.
He made the proposal amid growing pressure on Western nations to send more powerful tanks to Kyiv to help combat Russian aggression.
However, Lula rejected his former army head’s suggestion, saying his government must not provoke the Russians.
Not the First Time
Brazil has rejected previous requests to provide a military aid package to Ukraine.
Last year, Germany tried to reach an agreement with Brasilia to provide its stocks of Gepard air defense system ammunition to the war-torn nation.
However, the Brazilian government denied Berlin’s request.
Contradictory Stance
Brazil was one of 11 members of the UN Security Council that voted in favor of a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Lula commented that Moscow made the “classic mistake” of invading another country’s territory.
But several reports note that Brasilia wanted to maintain a position of neutrality in the ongoing war due to economic considerations.
The nation continues to refuse to issue sanctions against the Russian government.
“But I still think that when one won’t, two won’t fight. You have to want peace,” he told reporters.