Lula meets Trump at WH

Washington: US President Donald Trump hosted his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the White House on Thursday. The two leaders, who have had a rocky relationship marked by public insults, expectedly discussed trade and security, among other issues. The meeting comes at a moment of a fragile truce following a tense year of US tariffs and public insults between the leaders of the Western Hemisphere’s largest nations, NYT reported.

Trump has subjected Brazil to a whiplash of measures, only to abruptly walk back several of the harshest penalties. Lula, a leftist, has condemned Trump’s policies towards Iran and Cuba, along with his recent critical comments about Pope Leo XIV.

Security, trade and critical minerals were expected to be some of the items and issues the two men discuss, analysts said. 

It was unclear how Trump and Lula interacted, given that the relationship between the two countries has been marked by significant moments of acrimony. The meeting was still on.

Trump used tariffs to try to force Brazil to drop its prosecution of his political ally Jair Bolsonaro, the former right-wing Brazilian president who was ultimately convicted of plotting a coup to retain power after losing the previous election to Lula.

Trump also imposed sanctions on the Brazilian SC justice overseeing Bolsonaro’s case. Lula rejected Trump’s moves as violations of Brazil’s sovereignty.