The President of the United States, Donald Trump, mentioned Brazil during a meeting with the President of Argentina, Javier Milei, at the White House, this Tuesday (14). Alongside the Argentine leader, Trump said he had a “good conversation” with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and highlighted the rapprochement between South American countries and the United States.
Trump stated that the dialogue with Lula took place during the United Nations General Assembly, in September, and again cited the episode as an example of cooperation in the region. “And Brazil, I had a very good conversation with the president [Lula]. I met him at the United Nations before I went up to speak”, said the Republican, who classified the exchange of words with the Brazilian as “friendly and productive”.
The statement came during a lunch with Milei, who is in Washington to discuss financial aid from the United States to Argentina. Trump, when commenting on the ally’s visit, stated that support for the neighboring country is part of a strategy to strengthen ties with the continent. “If Argentina does well, others will follow suit. And many others are already following,” he declared.
Asked about the reasons for financially supporting Buenos Aires, Trump said that the United States would not need to intervene in countries in the region, but that the initiative would be “important for continental stability”. The speech was interpreted as an attempt to reposition American foreign policy in South America, after months of friction with some governments in the region.
During the same meeting, Trump once again criticized the BRICS group — made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The American president stated that the bloc would be an “attempted attack on the dollar” and said that the group’s influence would be in decline. “Everyone is leaving the BRICS. I said: ‘Do you want to play this game? We are going to put tariffs on all products that enter the United States’. They said: ‘We are outside the BRICS’. And now no one talks about it anymore”, he stated.
The mention of Brazil occurs shortly after the telephone conversation between Trump and Lula, on October 6th. According to information from the Brazilian government, the call lasted around 30 minutes and mainly addressed commercial issues. Lula called for a review of the 50% tariffs imposed by the United States on Brazilian products and the sanctions applied to national authorities due to the trial of former president Jair Bolsonaro.
On the same day, Trump stated that he intends to visit Brazil “soon” and praised the Brazilian leader, calling him a “good man”. “We know each other, we like each other, and yes, we had a great conversation. We’re going to start doing business. At some point I’ll [para o Brasil]and he [Lula] it’s going to come here… We talked about it,” the Republican told reporters.
The friendly tone contrasted with the recent phase of the relationship between the two countries, marked by tension since the announcement of American tariffs on Brazilian products. Trump had harshly criticized Brazil for considering Bolsonaro’s trial a “witch hunt”. Lula, in turn, refuted the statements and even stated that the American president acted as if he “wants to be the emperor of the world”.
The rapprochement began behind the scenes of the UN General Assembly, on September 23, when the two met briefly before official speeches. Since then, advisors from both governments have been arranging a face-to-face meeting between the presidents, which should take place this semester, according to diplomatic sources.
The meeting with Milei also reinforced Trump’s intention to support the re-election of the Argentine president. The republican had already expressed public support for his ally during the UN, in September, when he personally delivered a printed copy of a publication on his Truth Social network.
This Tuesday, the United States also confirmed the granting of financial aid of US$20 billion to Argentina. The package was made possible through a currency swap agreement between the US Treasury and the Argentine Central Bank. According to the Washington government, the measure aims to “stabilize a strategic ally in South America”.
The initiative, however, has provoked reactions within the United States itself. American farmers criticized the decision, noting that China redirected part of its soybean purchases from the US to Argentina this year. Despite the controversies, Trump stated that the country is “on the right path” and did not rule out a future free trade agreement with Buenos Aires.
“Yes, that is possible,” replied the American president when asked about a trade treaty with Argentina. “We want strong partners in the region. And Milei is one of those partners.”
While reinforcing the alliance with the Argentine government, Trump is trying to reposition the image of the United States in South America. The mention of Brazil and the conciliatory tone with Lula indicate a possible change of stance towards the main country on the continent, after months of political and economic tension.
