Europe’s attempt to elbow aside China and Russia in the tussle for influence across Latin America came up short during talks with the region’s leaders.
The European Union courted its Latin American and Caribbean guests over two days, with a performance of classical music and a gala dinner, but the summit was overshadowed by a diplomatic quarrel over just how, if at all, to criticize Russia or President Vladimir Putin for the invasion.
Officials from the EU camp fingered Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela as the most resistant to the EU’s lobbying for a strong condemnation of Russia. Diplomats haggled over whether the statement should refer to the war “in” — or “against” — Ukraine, and whether name-checking “Russia” was acceptable, said officials who asked not to be named on closed-door talks.
There was much more than a few words at stake. The dispute underscored the wider challenge that the EU and its Group of Seven partners face in getting Latin American countries onside, when the BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — are gaining in influence. Underpinning the Ukraine debate is another key EU push — to secure critical raw materials for digital and green energy goals.
The EU is struggling to recover from years of neglecting the region. This week’s summit was the first such meeting in eight years, and only the third one ever held.
The result was a joint statement that expressed “deep concern on the ongoing war against Ukraine” — with no mention of Russia — and backed the need for peace. The bloc only achieved an indirect reference to Russia’s role, with a line on UN resolutions condemning Moscow. Nicaragua was the sole country that refuse to back the joint statement.
“It was a frank discussion clearly showing that there are differences amongst us,” the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said in an interview Tuesday evening with Bloomberg Television. “For example, with respect to the war in Ukraine, many of them do not see it the same way we do.”
Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren said he was “very surprised that there are members of our group which oppose any resolution concerning the war in Ukraine.”
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s reluctance to accept any strong language on Russia disappointed EU countries, according to a bloc official. It also strengthened Latin American nations opposing a tough position, officials said. Lula was wary of upsetting Russia, one senior diplomat said.
Even so, Emmanuel Macron praised Lula for attending the summit and engaging constructively. “He’s among those who are able to build bridges,” the French president told reporters, adding that he “approved a text with language that acknowledges the nature of this war and helped us convince countries that can be convinced.”
Germany’s Olaf Scholz played up the outcome. “It’s remarkable that we found a wording which many can support, which we maybe didn’t expect in the past,” Scholz said. “My impression is that there’s a global shift. Russia shows more and more that it has imperialist interests.”
Germany is among G-7 members leading efforts to woo Latin America. During Olaf Scholz’s trip to the continent in January, Lula turned down his request to send ammunition to Ukraine. Brazil also isn’t taking part in sanctions against Russia over Ukraine.
Macron invited Lula to a summit in Paris last month to discuss how to reform international finance to better help developing nations. Macron also expressed interest in joining a BRICS summit to be held in South Africa later this summer.
As the EU pushes for closer trade ties, the final statement simply took note of “ongoing work” in talks stretching back more than 20 years on a trade accord with the Mercosur countries — Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay.
Attitude Problem
Latin American countries wanted to mention a readiness to finalize the agreement, but France, Austria and several other states blocked this, according to an EU official. Latin American states have balked at the EU’s Green Deal, and rules to reduce CO2 emissions that include strict conditions to gain access to the European market.
The issue is partly an attitude problem. “Latin America fears that now the European Union is looking to them only for mineral resources,” said Jose Ignacio Torreblanca, head of the Madrid office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank. “The summit is a beginning, the EU is saying, ‘We care.’”
History is also a factor. “Sometimes we’re viewed as condescending and sometimes we’re viewed as former colonizers,” Latvia’s Krisjanis Karins said in an interview. “Are we speaking in a condescending manner or not? And if so, maybe we should stop doing that because it’s certainly is counterproductive.”
In any case, it was impossible to convince countries like Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela of Russian guilt, according to a senior official from a member country. They were loyal to Putin because his support allowed their leaders to remain in power, the official said. But the EU is also paying the price for decades of neglect, he added.
Still, one EU official played down the competition from the BRICS, saying that the more it expands, the weaker it would become. The EU told Argentina that joining the BRICS now, during Russia’s war in Ukraine, would send the wrong signal, the official said, and the country won’t be joining any time soon.
Despite the differing views on support for Ukraine and on what role China could play in any peace efforts, Scholz has invited Lula for talks and a joint cabinet meeting in Berlin in the second half of this year. The German-Brazilian talks will focus on closer cooperation on trade, energy, raw materials and climate protection.
--With assistance from Sofia Gerace, Daniel Hornak, Jasmina Kuzmanovic, Lyubov Pronina, Ania Nussbaum, Slav Okov, Kevin Whitelaw and Maria Tadeo.
Author: Jorge Valero, Natalia Ojewska and Arne Delfs