Brazil–Russia Relations: Pursuing an International Order Based on Multiple Poles
Book Chapter
Vieira Secches, D, Paixão e Casarões, GS, dos Anjos, BA et al. (2025). Brazil–Russia Relations: Pursuing an International Order Based on Multiple Poles
. 1089-1114. 10.1007/978-981-95-1169-3_49
Vieira Secches, D, Paixão e Casarões, GS, dos Anjos, BA et al. (2025). Brazil–Russia Relations: Pursuing an International Order Based on Multiple Poles
. 1089-1114. 10.1007/978-981-95-1169-3_49
Relations between Brazil and Russia are characterised by expectations of expansion that have yet to be fully realised across various areas and have not followed a linear trajectory throughout history. However, changes in the international order of the new millennium and its multiple crises have created opportunities for a discursive convergence between these two actors around the defence of a multipolar world that better aligns with their pursuit of greater status in international politics. This rhetorical alignment may have contributed to strengthening the ties between these countries, which could be further expanded in the coming years. For instance, this closer relationship can be observed in the significant improvement in the position both countries occupy within their global trade relations since the escalation of the Ukraine crisis in 2022. Based on the material aspects of the history of Brazil–Russia relations from the twentieth century onward and contemporary possibilities for systemic geopolitical changes, what explains the convergence of their foreign policies around the idea of a multipolar or polycentric world? We argue that Brazil and Russia share the same role identity, projecting themselves externally as builders of a (new) multipolar world through a strategy of soft balancing. This hypothesis will be assessed through a cross-case analysis, considering their positions in the Syrian War, the annexation of Crimea, and the Russia–Ukraine conflict. These cases were selected based on their relevance to shifts in the international order and their ability to encompass continuities and political changes within both countries. The study will first present a rigorous review of the literature on bilateral and multilateral relations between Brazil and Russia, focusing on their political, economic, and military dimensions. Next, it will analyse Brazil’s concept of multipolarity and Russia’s notion of polycentrism. Finally, the selected cases will be examined in light of the history of relations between Brasília and Moscow and their perceptions of the international order since the 2000s.
