Brazil's Lula suggests world may see 'surprises' when he meets with Trump next week: Video

Lula said the encounter would be a chance to clear the air after months of friction over tariffs and accusations from Washington, which had been critical of the conviction of former President Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally. 

 “I hope that in a conversation between two heads of state, we put our problems and our differences on the table and begin to make decisions,” Lula told reporters in New York for the high-level debates.

The United States earlier slapped steep tariffs on Brazilian goods, with Trump citing threats to national security and foreign policy. The American president also accused Brasília of pursuing a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro — charges Lula dismissed as outside interference.

Despite that backdrop, Lula welcomed Trump’s earlier comments that there was “good chemistry” between them. 

“What once seemed impossible stopped being impossible. And it happened,” Lula said.

He argued that Trump’s policies toward Brazil had been shaped by flawed information and suggested that once the U.S. leader heard directly from him, positions on both sides could shift. “In the same way, Brazil can also change its position,” Lula said.

The Brazilian president said his agenda with Trump would go beyond trade. He confirmed he intends to raise the war in Ukraine, stressing that both leaders maintain ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

“I know he is a friend of Putin. I am also a friend of Putin. So, if one friend can do a lot, two friends can do much more,” Lula said. “Maybe our chemistry can be taken to Putin and Zelensky? And we can build that unexpected way out. I think there could be surprises for the world.”

For months, Lula has promoted the participation of the Global South in peace initiatives regarding Ukraine, often in coordination with China and other BRICS+ countries. He framed the meeting with Trump as a potential opportunity to broaden those efforts.

He also injected humour into the discussion, noting that both leaders are entering their eighties. “There is no reason for kidding in a relationship between two 80-year-old men,” Lula quipped. 

At the same press conference, Lula criticised what he called the passivity of the UN Security Council in the face of wars in Gaza and Ukraine. He argued that the institution had the authority to create Israel decades ago and now should act with equal resolve to establish a Palestinian state.