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In a latest interview, Brazil’s Head of State Lula emphasized that he has “no relationship” at all with former US President Trump.

President da Silva frequently condemned Trump, yet this represents the most explicit signal yet that he believes exchange between the two leaders is currently totally nonexistent.

Trade Tensions and Duties

Despite the US maintaining a favorable trade balance with Brazil, Trump imposed import taxes of fifty percent on the country’s exports as far back as in the summer.

The president labeled these tariffs as “clearly political” and cautioned that American buyers would eventually experience higher costs for Brazilian products.

“US people are going to bear the cost for the missteps President Trump is making in his relationship with Brazil.”

No Direct Communication

Both presidents have never spoken directly. Upon questioning about why he never attempted to call Trump, Lula explained: “I never attempted to make contact as he never desire to have a dialogue.”

Even though Donald Trump previously claimed that Lula could “call him anytime,” he maintained that representatives of the Trump Administration “did not want to talk.”

He also revealed that he first found out about the US tariffs via local newspapers.

Referring to the former US leader, Lula remarked that the president “failed to communicate in a proper manner. He simply posted them on social media.”

‘He’s Not Emperor on Earth!’

The Brazilian president pointed out that his poor relations with Trump were the anomaly, adding that he has established strong ties with previous American leaders, British officials, the EU, China, Ukrainian leaders, Venezuela and “all nations worldwide.”

Pressed about who he had a stronger relationship with – Donald Trump or Vladimir Putin – he explained his relationship with the Russian leader, saying they had formed that bond when both were presidents “in the past.”

“I don’t have relationship with Trump as at the time Trump first won the election, I was not president. His connection is with the former president, not our nation.”

Additionally, he commented that if he saw the former president at next week’s UN meeting, he would “acknowledge him since I am a civilized person,” but he noted that Trump may be “president of the United States, however he is no emperor of the world!”

Remarks on Former President and Coup Charges

The president also spoke on his predecessor, Bolsonaro, who was recently found guilty by Brazil’s Supreme Court.

In a 4-1 decision, judges found the ex-president guilty of planning a attempted overthrow after losing the presidential race to President Lula and handed down him to over two decades in prison.

He stated that his predecessor and his allies had “hurt the nation, tried to carry out a takeover, and plotted assassination.”

He also criticized Donald Trump for “inventing falsehoods” by claiming that the former president was being persecuted and questioning the state of democracy in the country.

The Brazilian leader also noted that if the January 6 Capitol riots had taken place in his country rather than the US, the former president would have been charged.

UN Reform and International Relations

In the wide-ranging conversation, the president further called for reform of the United Nations.

He criticized the fact that a handful of countries – the permanent members of the UN Security Council – hold the authority to block actions and stated that this biased the balance in favor of those who won World War Two, excluding nations like millions of people like his country, Germany, India, Japan, and African nations.

Consequently, he noted, the United Nations doesn’t “possess the strength to resolve disputes” and the P5 permanent members make “one-sided” choices about going to war.

Energy and Environment Issues

The BBC further questioned President Lula about the upcoming COP30 summit, when Brazil will welcome international delegates in the Amazonian city of Belém.

Domestically, the Brazilian president has encountered backlash over his support for exploratory drilling for crude off the mouth of the Amazon.

The country’s state oil company Petrobas and other companies have bought leases for drilling and expect permits.

Even his ecology chief, Marina Silva, has strongly resisted the project, and some environmental organizations fear it could risk environmental disasters in waters adjacent to the Amazon.

Lula insisted that the government was carefully complying with the law in its research and that if any oil spills, then “Brazil would be responsible and take care of any consequences.”

He also said that he backs a world free from fossil fuels but “the transition has not happen now.”

“I want to know a single country that has the capacity to undertake an shift to renewables and able of phasing out fossil fuels.”

Lula, who is seventy-nine years of age, said that he has not so far determined if he would seek re-election in the 2026 elections.

He explained that his well-being and his party would decide that – in addition to whether it was strategically wise and whether he stood a chance of victory.

Lula declined in the opinion surveys lately, however enjoyed a increase after Donald Trump enacted duties on Brazil.

He concluded, Lula stated that his achievements involved cutting {hunger|food insecurity