Brazil ambassador urged to return to Kiev

Vi Everything Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Relations has instructed Brazilian Ambassador Norton de Andrade Mello Rapesta to return to Ukrainian capital Kiev, where the Brazilian embassy in the country operates. Rapesta and a portion of the diplomatic staff left the city in early March due to Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine.

In a statement released Tuesday (Jul 26), the ministry said it continues to monitor the developments of what has been termed a “conflict” between the two Eastern European countries. The government department also stated it is ready to resume any emergency measures to assist Brazilians in the area, and reinforced its recommendation to avoid entering Ukrainian territory.

After leaving Kiev, Rapesta and some of the embassy staff transferred to Lviv, a city about 500 kilometers away from the capital, near the border with Poland, where a consular service post was set up to help Brazilians leaving Ukraine.

Three other temporary posts were installed in the cities of Chernivtsi, Ukraine; Chisinau, Moldova; and Kosice, Slovakia; and were closed after all Brazilians seeking to leave Ukraine withdrew from the region. The Brazilian embassy in Kiev is said to have remained open during all this time.

The authorities added they have offered support to about 250 Brazilians in the region since March, helping with documentation and cross-border transportation.