13 American countries refrain from condemning Russian operation
At the 15th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas, defense ministers of 13 out of 21 nations refrain from condemning the Russian operation in Ukraine.
Defense ministers of 13 out of 21 American nations have decided to refrain from condemning the Russian military operation in Ukraine.
The Brazilian capital of Brasilia hosted the 15th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas (CDMA).
The final declaration of the conference stressed that the conflicts in Ukraine and Haiti should be resolved by peaceful means.
Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico pointed out that the Ukrainian crisis could not be a subject of the conference as it should be considered by the United Nations.
Defense ministers of eight countries made separate statements to condemn the Russian military operation in Ukraine and describe it as "illegitimate". These countries are Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, the United States, Guatemala, Haiti, Paraguay, and the Dominican Republic.
In a similar context, the Pentagon said that US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, met Wednesday with the Brazilian Defense Minister, Paulo Sergio Nogueira de Oliveira, at the CDMA.
In a press release, the Pentagon indicated that "the two leaders reaffirmed their mutual commitment to the US-Brazil defense relationship and discussed efforts to strengthen bilateral defense ties."
"Austin noted that the United States and Brazil share deep democratic traditions and values, and he expressed his confidence in the strength of Brazil's democracy," the release read.