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Brazil's incoming President Lula da Silva said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had congratulated him on his recent electoral victory and discussed expanding the two countries' bilateral ties. 

The Russian head of state said earlier that he entertained "good relations" with both Lula and incumbent Jair Bolsonaro who had made a state visit to Moscow shortly before the start of the special military operation in Ukraine. 

Since his electoral victory in October, Lula has embarked on a journey to highlight that "Brazil is back" and vowed to visit Washington and Beijing early in his term to address important climate issues. 

"Putin congratulated me on my election victory and wished me a good administration and the strengthening of relations between our countries," Lula tweeted.

Conversei hoje com o presidente russo Vladimir Putin, que me cumprimentou pela vitória eleitoral, desejou um bom governo e o fortalecimento da relação entre nossos países. O Brasil voltou, buscando o diálogo com todos e empenhado na busca de um mundo sem fome e com paz.

— Lula (@LulaOficial) December 20, 2022

"Brazil is back, seeking dialogue with everyone and committed to the search for a world without hunger and with peace," he added.

In a separate statement, the Kremlin said both men had expressed confidence that the countries' "strategic partnership...will develop successfully, including within the BRICS framework."

Brazil is one of the many countries of the Global South which defied the West's "moral duty" to sanction Russia. 

Like several countries across the world, Brazil depends heavily on fertilizers from Russia. 

It also frequently purchases oil and gas for its agricultural needs. 

In early November, a former Lehman Brothers executive Lawrence McDonald stated that the US' efforts to isolate Russia through sanctions appear to be pulling nations closer to forming a bloc.

When McDonald asked whether the US' anti-Russia sanctions were effective, he said "Russia is going around them through a lot of different avenues, like through China," adding that "the BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa] are essentially forming this - look at the way the Saudis and the Russians are cooperating - the BRICS are forming like an alliance around the United States. Very dangerous moves the United States makes, they're pushing these countries together as a bloc."

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