Brazilian politician sees Ukraine conflict leading to EU’s decline

RIO DE JANEIRO, August 21. /TASS/. The continued Ukraine conflict has caused significant harm to the EU economy, which is already in stagnation, Jose Dirceu, a candidate for Brazil’s congressional election from the Workers' Party led by the president, told TASS in an interview. "It (the Ukraine conflict - TASS) is causing colossal damage to the European economy, and the EU has incurred enormous expenses as a result," he argued. According to Dirceu, EU countries themselves gave up their own prosperity as they damaged ties with Russia. "For decades, Russia has been the most reliable, predictable and profitable commodity market for Europe. Following the demise of the Soviet Union, Moscow, Brussels and Washington maintained agreements on good neighborhood and integration. But then the Minsk accords were disrupted and escalation ensued," the Brazilian politician noted. "The Old World is stagnating and is facing the most severe energy, social and economic crisis. [And] the Europeans cannot endlessly rely on their government debt, like the Americans do, for spending on digitalization, large-scale rearmament or efforts to contain domestic social crises," Dirceu concluded. Earlier, chief adviser to Brazil’s president on international affairs Celso Amorim said that Western European countries are turning to the South American republic to help them foster a dialogue with Russia.