Since the beginning of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Brazil, then still under Bolsonaro’s government, has maintained an official position of neutrality. Under Lula’s administration, this position did not change, frustrating many policymakers in the Global North. So what explains Brazil’s stance on the war in Ukraine? Dawisson Belém Lopes argues that Brazil’s position must be understood against the backdrop of its constitutionally enshrined pragmatic pacifism and diplomatic tradition. Brazil’s diplomatic history and foreign policy tenets Brazil has not always been a pacifist nation in international affairs. At the beginning of the 19th century, when the country gained independence from Portugal, the Brazilian elite was deeply concerned about maintaining the country’s territorial integrity. During this period, interstate wars were fought, particularly …