Lula says his relationship with Trump will be based on reciprocity
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Thursday (Jan. 30) stated that he aims to establish a respectful relationship with US President Donald Trump, who was sworn in for a new term last week. He made the remarks during an interview with journalists at the Planalto presidential palace.
“I have governed Brazil with the US under both a Republican and a Democratic president, and my approach has always been the same: a relationship between two sovereign states. Trump was elected to govern the United States, and I was elected to govern Brazil,” Lula said.
If the US president follows through on recent statements suggesting he could impose export tariffs on products from countries like Brazil, Lula emphasized that his government would respond with reciprocity by imposing equivalent tariffs on US imports. “If he taxes Brazilian products, Brazil will reciprocate by taxing American products. It’s simple—no complications,” he stated.
Lula also criticized the US president's decision to cut financial contributions to the World Health Organization (WHO) and withdraw from the Paris Agreement, which aims to combat global warming. He further stated that Trump should respect the sovereignty of other nations, citing recent disputes between the US and the governments of Greenland and Panama.
