U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva covered a fair amount of ground in their reportedly friendly 50-minute call on Jan. 26. “Both welcomed the good relationship built in recent months, which has resulted in the lifting of a significant portion of tariffs on Brazilian products,” the readout published by Brazil reported. The two Presidents also “agreed that President Lula would visit Washington after his trip to India and South Korea in February, on a date to be set shortly.”
There are serious differences between them, however. One is over Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, in which Brazil has been invited to participate. In their call, Lula proposed two changes in the board: that it “be limited to the Gaza issue, and that it provide a seat for Palestine.” In this context, he also “reiterated the importance of a comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including the expansion of the permanent members of the Security Council,” the readout stated.
Lula neither committed to join the board, nor rejected the invitation, but it is clear he does not want to be pulled into any operation which aims to replace the United Nations. When Lula da Silva and Chinese President Xi Jinping had spoken a few days prior (on Jan. 23), both had agreed that the “centrality” of the United Nations must be maintained.
Brazil’s daily Valor Econômico, citing sources in “Lula’s team,” wrote that the call had been requested by Trump, and that Lula’s “proposals” for a delimited mandate and the addition of Palestine are the conditions which Brazil requires for it to join the Board of Peace.
