Ukraine has recalled its ambassador to Brazil without naming a successor, leaving its embassy in Brasília under a chargé d’affaires until at least 2026, the foreign ministry confirmed, as reported by Rio Times.

The decision taken earlier this month follows mounting tensions over Brazil’s neutral stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s planned visit to Moscow in May to take part in the Victory Day celebrations.

Ambassador Andrii Melnyk, appointed in mid-2023 after serving eight years in Germany, will now represent Ukraine at the United Nations.

The recall reflects Kyiv’s dissatisfaction with Brazil’s refusal to condemn Russia’s April missile strikes that killed over 30 civilians, and its consistent abstention from UN votes related to the war.

“I will not sell weapons to kill Russians,” Lula said in February, reaffirming Brazil’s rejection of arms sales to Ukraine. His upcoming visit to Russia, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of Soviet victory in WWII, follows several conversations with President Vladimir Putin.

Economic ties remain a factor; Russia supplies 25% of Brazil’s fertiliser imports. The recall leaves Brazil’s 500,000-strong Ukrainian community without senior diplomatic representation.

"I sometimes get the impression that people live here as if on another planet. No one here wants to talk about the war, and this is also a rather sad fact. When you come to the [Brazilian] Foreign Ministry, the topic of the war is avoided because it’s embarrassing, because they have nothing to say, civil servants are even embarrassed by the official position: Brazil’s so-called neutrality regarding Russian aggression in Ukraine," Melnyk told Ukraine's NV Radio in an interview last year.

Efforts to engage Brazil diplomatically have stalled. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s 2023 meeting request was declined, and Kyiv’s own peace proposal — which demands full Russian withdrawal — conflicts with a joint plan by Brazil and China that omits this crucial point.

Brasilia and Beijing launched the "Group of Friends of Peace" initiative at the UN last September, aiming to draft a "just and lasting" peace plan to end the conflict.