Support The Moscow Times!

Bolsonaro Beams as Putin Praises His 'Masculinity'

Putin lavished praise on Bolsonaro in an address to the BRICS group of emerging economies. Edu Chaves / ZUMA / TASS

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was beaming Wednesday after his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin praised his "masculinity" in a speech, triggering a flood of jokes online about a budding "bromance."

Putin lavished praise on Bolsonaro Tuesday in an address to a virtual summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), saying the far-right president was an example of "courage" for his management of the coronavirus pandemic.

"You were even infected personally by this disease, and withstood the ordeal with great courage," Putin said of Bolsonaro's July illness, according to a transcript that the Brazilian himself posted on Facebook.

"I know that moment must not have been easy, but you faced it like a real man and showed the best qualities of masculinity, such as strength and willpower," he added.

Besides posting the video and transcript online, Bolsonaro proudly brought up the speech with a group of supporters outside the presidential palace.

"Anyone see the Russian president's speech yesterday? Did anyone catch that?" he asked.

The episode gave birth to a flood of memes poking fun at the Russian strongman and the Brazilian populist.

In one, a bare-chested Bolsonaro sits behind an also-shirtless Putin atop his horse.

Others joked that Bolsonaro was apparently flirting with a new partner after "breaking up" with his political idol, U.S. President Donald Trump, after the latter lost his re-election bid two weeks ago.

Despite Putin's praise, public health experts have sharply criticized Bolsonaro's handling of Covid-19, which he has sought to minimize even as it has killed more than 166,000 people in Brazil the second-highest death toll worldwide, after the United States.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more