‘Very friendly, very pleasant’: Brazil’s Lula on brief UNGA encounter with Trump

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Wednesday that helium was pleasantly amazed by his first-ever brushwood with US President Donald Trump astatine the United Nations General Assembly, describing it arsenic having “some chemistry” contempt months of tensions betwixt the 2 largest economies successful the Americas.The little gathering occurred Tuesday erstwhile Lula was leaving the podium aft delivering his code and Trump was walking in. “I saw him, helium saw me, and we embraced,” Trump told the assembly. “We didn’t person overmuch clip to talk, similar astir 20 seconds. … We had a bully talk, and we agreed to conscionable adjacent week”, helium added. According to quality bureau AP, Lula confirmed the exchange, noting Trump appeared “very friendly, precise pleasant, and I deliberation that so determination was immoderate chemistry there.”The brushwood comes aft months of strained relations pursuing US tariffs and sanctions targeting Brazil implicit the apprehension and condemnation of erstwhile President Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to 27 years successful situation for attempting a coup. Trump has criticised Brazil’s handling of Bolsonaro’s case, citing “censorship, repression and targeting of governmental critics successful the United States,” and imposed 50% tariffs connected Brazilian exports.

Lula stressed that portion commercialized and concern issues could beryllium discussed, Brazil’s sovereignty and the independency of its judicial strategy stay non-negotiable. “What cannot beryllium discussed is Brazil’s sovereignty and ideology and the enactment of its judges and judicial system,” helium said, adding that negotiations should beryllium “a win-win agreement” for some countries.As per Reuters, Trump described Lula arsenic “a precise bully man” and said, “He seemed similar a precise bully antheral ...

At slightest for astir 39 seconds, we had fantabulous chemistry. It’s a bully sign”. The remarks boosted Brazilian markets, with the existent gaining astir 1% against the US dollar and the Bovespa banal scale hitting an all-time high.The little gathering follows a fiery code by Lula astatine the UN, wherever helium criticised unilateral US actions, including tariffs, visa restrictions, and fiscal sanctions, which helium said were unfairly imposed owed to Bolsonaro’s conviction.Lula emphasised the value of dialogue, saying, “I don’t cognize however galore politicians successful the satellite really judge successful quality relations arsenic I do, but everything tin beryllium sorted retired erstwhile 2 radical talk”.Lula besides noted a idiosyncratic rapport with Trump, pointing retired their approaching 80th birthdays and signalling that some leaders could prosecute respectfully without governmental games. “I’m going to dainty him with the respect that helium deserves arsenic the president of the US, and he’s going to dainty maine with the respect that the president of the Federal Republic of Brazil deserves”.