Zelenski seeks rapprochement with Brazil and should appoint ambassador after more than 1 year

The appointment could take place as early as this week. Members of Itamaraty expect to be officially notified in the coming days, but have already received indications that the diplomat should be chosen. If confirmed, Ohnivets will be subjected to the diplomatic agrément procedure, through which the Brazilian government expresses its agreement with the appointment of the new head of mission.

A career diplomat, she headed the Ukrainian representation in Lisbon for almost seven years, and was also ambassador to Slovakia. Additionally, he worked in the department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for Ukrainian communities abroad and humanitarian cooperation. His name was well evaluated in a preliminary way by members of Brazilian diplomacy.

The Zelenski government had already been talking to Portuguese-speaking diplomats for appointment to the Brazilian post for a few months. The moment of appointment coincides with the annual meeting of Ukrainian ambassadors in Kiev, an event that took place this Monday (3) with the participation of Zelensky and in which changes in the diplomatic corps are usually announced or consolidated.

In addition to the appointment to the embassy in Brazil, the Ukrainian president is expected to announce changes to 15 other diplomatic representations around the world. In his speech, Zelenski said that one of his intentions is to get closer to Latin America. "A region in which Moscow has maintained a firm position for a long time. Until now, to be honest," he said.

"But Latin America is changing. These are important diplomatic steps for us. Kiev needs to be heard there. And the Ukrainian experience, in particular with volunteers [i.e. fighters], confirms that in many ways our people equally value freedom, courage and dignity," Zelensky continued.

Ukraine has been without an ambassador in Brazil since May 2025, when Andriy Melnyk was removed from his post and transferred to the position of permanent representative of Ukraine at the United Nations, in New York. Since then, the Ukrainian embassy in Brasília has been commanded by a chargé d'affaires.

The decision occurred amid deterioration in relations between the two countries, caused by the neutral position adopted by the Lula (PT) government in relation to the war with Russia and by criticism from Ukrainian authorities regarding the conduct of Brazilian foreign policy on the conflict, mainly due to the PT member's close relationship with Russian President Vladmir Putin.

Melnyk upset the Brazilian government after public statements about Brazil's position in the conflict in Eastern Europe. In an interview with Folha in 2024, for example, he said that Lula could have missed the chance to serve as a mediator by not prioritizing Ukraine in the G20 final document, when Brazil presided over the forum.

The appointment of the new ambassador, if confirmed, occurs at a time of rapprochement between Brazil and Ukraine. According to a Brazilian diplomatic source, dialogue between the two countries has advanced significantly in the last year, with two meetings between Lula and Zelenski and around ten meetings between chancellors and other high-ranking authorities.

The Ukrainian government sees Brazil as an important player in eventual peace negotiations, according to this Brazilian diplomatic source. The Ukrainian government even consulted Brasília about possible mediation, in a sign of strengthening dialogue between the two countries. At the beginning of the current term, Lula, together with China, tried to position himself as a mediator between Kiev and Moscow, without success.

The last meeting between Lula and Zelenski took place at the G7, in France, in June, at the Ukrainian's request. "For around 40 minutes, I listened to their assessments of the current conflict situation, the possibilities of a ceasefire and the search for a diplomatic solution. I expressed my expectation that the UN Security Council can act more effectively to end a conflict that has lasted more than four years. We agreed to maintain contact in the coming weeks," Lula wrote in X.

The message was also shared by Zelenski on his account. "Good meeting at the G7 with the President of Brazil, Lula da Silva, especially on the ways to end Russia's aggressive war."