[1][4] The ongoing conflict has strained relations between the two countries, including Ukrainian objections to the Brazil-China 6 point peace plan,[5] but bilateral meetings between the two governments increased in 2024.

The Brazilian government and private actors sponsored agents to travel across Europe to recruit migrants, resulting in a wave of Ukrainian immigrants from 1895-1897 known as the “Brazilian Fever.”[7] These early Ukrainian immigrants mainly settled in Paraná state and established wheat, rye, coffee, black bean, and mint farms.

[7] A final wave of more highly educated Ukrainians arrived between 1947 and 1951 fleeing the instability of World War II and soviet persecution.

[2] Bilateral contacts significantly increased after the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil.

Bilateral dialogue at the highest level was again pursued in September 2005 within the framework of participation of the Presidents of Ukraine and Brazil in the activities of 60th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

[2] In April 2011, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov met with the President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, in Sanya.

During the occasion, the Ukrainian and Brazilian governments issued a joint statement outlining areas of cooperation for the subsequent years, with the aim of further elevating the bilateral partnership.

[1] Bilateral relations weakened in 2013 due to political and economic challenges during the “Euromaidan” protests in Ukraine and the Russian invasion of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014.

[9] When Russia invaded Crimea in 2014, the Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota described his country’s position as stressing the need for dialogue and moderation to achieve a peaceful solution respecting human rights and democratic institutions.

[3] The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies adopted a statement in support of Ukraine after Russia claimed to have held local elections in Crimea and Sevastopol in September 2019.

[13] Amidst escalating tensions in the Kerch Strait, Brazil was the only South American country to call for a peaceful solution to the crisis.

[14] The conference was followed by the first Defense Industry Dialogue in Kyiv in December 2020 with the prime minister of Ukraine and high-ranking officials from Brazil, resulting in two Memorandums of Understanding on defense-related cooperation.

[34][35][36] The total flow of trade between the two countries peaked at over $1 billion from 2011-2012, but fell after the Russian invasion of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014 and has been slow to recover.

The ICC met at least six times between 2001 and 2013, discussing collaboration on education, energy, space technology, agriculture, health and infrastructure.

[38] In April 2024, the Vice President of Brazil Geraldo Alckmin and the Ukrainian Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko agreed that their governments would cooperate to increase trade.

[44] Ultimately, the deputy chief of the Brazilian Space Agency announced the end of the project in April 2015 due to concerns about cost and financial viability.

[46] The first mutual visa agreement between the governments of Brazil and Ukraine entered into force on October 24, 1996 to permit citizens to travel between the two nations more freely.

[47] Today, travel between the two countries is facilitated by the Visa Waiver Agreement signed in 2009 by the Brazilian and Ukrainian governments, which came into force on December 30, 2011.

[49] Since March 2022, the Brazilian Government has granted a temporary visa and residence permit for humanitarian reception purposes to Ukrainian nationals and stateless persons who have been affected or displaced by the situation of armed conflict in Ukraine.