Lula on Trump: ‘President of the US, Not Emperor of the World’
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has played down the prospect of engaging with Donald Trump, saying the former US leader may head America but “he’s not emperor of the world.” Speaking to the BBC, Lula stressed that he had “no relationship” with Trump as he was not in office during Trump’s presidency. “His relationship is with Bolsonaro, not Brazil,” Lula said, referring to former president Jair Bolsonaro’s close ties with Trump.
Lula added that although Trump once suggested he could “call him anytime,” his administration showed little interest in dialogue. He said he would greet Trump at next week’s UN General Assembly “as a civilised citizen,” but made clear that Trump’s influence had limits.
The Brazilian leader also criticised Washington’s decision to impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods in July, a move linked to Bolsonaro’s ongoing coup trial. Lula said he learned of the tariffs from the media rather than direct communication: “The US President didn’t act in a civilised manner. He just published them on social media.”
Lula contrasted his strained relations with Trump with his track record of cooperation with past US presidents, European leaders, and major global powers, including China and Ukraine.
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