Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed optimism on Wednesday regarding an upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, stating that it could resolve the ongoing crisis between their countries.
“I believe that in this meeting, everything will be resolved, and Brazil and the United States will live in harmony again,” Lula said during a press conference at the UN General Assembly, without specifying the date of the meeting.
Earlier, President Trump mentioned that they had agreed to meet “next week.”
Tensions between the two nations escalated in August, when Washington imposed 50% tariffs on certain Brazilian imports in response to the trial and subsequent 27-year prison sentence of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for attempting a coup following the 2022 elections, in which he lost to Lula.
During his speech at the UN General Assembly, Trump noted that he had felt “great chemistry” with Lula in a brief conversation, describing the Brazilian president as “pleasant.”
Lula confirmed the sentiment with a smile at the press conference:
“It’s true, there was chemistry. I return to Brazil satisfied and optimistic that this meeting will take place as soon as possible and bring an end to the tensions dominating Brazil-U.S. relations.”
The Brazilian president emphasized that Brazil’s national sovereignty and democracy are non-negotiable, adding that Trump may have been influenced by misinformation about Brazil, which could have led to some “unacceptable decisions.”
