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Bolsonaro meets Hungary’s Orban after Putin talks

AFP

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro met Hungarian nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban Thursday, a day after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid fears Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Putin welcomed “constructive” talks with Bolsonaro, following his first official trip to Moscow.

Western leaders remain fearful of a Russian attack on its neighbour Ukraine. Bolsonaro had brushed off pressure from Washington, Brazil’s traditional ally, and his own cabinet to cancel the trip, justifying the focus on trade. 

Before the South American set off for Russia, Brazil publicly reaffirmed its diplomatic ties with Kyiv.

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In Hungary, Bolsonaro met President Janos Ader followed by Orban, marking the first time a Brazilian leader has visited the EU member.

Bolsonaro told reporters in a joined press conference with Orban that he considered Hungary as “our little-big brother”.

“Small, if we take into account the differences in our respective territorial dimensions. And big, because of the values we represent, which can be summed up in four words: God, homeland, family and freedom,” he said.

Orban said Bolsonaro’s visit was a “great honour”, praising his South American counterpart for his “very precious” diplomatic efforts to discuss the Ukraine crisis during his Moscow visit.

Brazil is one of Hungary’s most important trading partners in Latin America, and Orban was one of few Western leaders to attend Bolsonaro’s inauguration in January 2019.

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In late 2020, Hungary signed a deal to buy two Brazilian KC-390 military transport aircraft at an undisclosed price.

Critics have slammed the visit of Bolsonaro, who has been likened to former US president Donald Trump and who has expressed admiration for Putin.

One Hungarian news portal described the visit as a “diplomatic tour de force” ahead of April elections, where Orban is expected to face his toughest fight yet against a united opposition since returning to power in 2010.

Orban himself met Putin early this month despite objections from the opposition and his European allies.

Next month, a flagship US conservative conference is to take place in Budapest with Orban as key speaker.

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During his three straight terms in office, the nationalist leader has branded his foreign policy as “eastern opening,” cozying up to Russia and China, while often antagonising European allies.

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International

Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.

The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”

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International

Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”

According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.

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International

Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.

Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.

“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.

“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.

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