Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has reportedly requested that his US counterpart, Donald Trump, limit the scope of the newly formed Peace Council to the Gaza Strip. The request was made during a recent phone call between the two leaders, during which they also agreed to meet in Washington, according to a statement from the Brazilian Presidency.
President Lula, who, like other world leaders, was invited to participate in the “Peace Council” established by Trump, suggested that the body’s work should be confined “to the issue of Gaza and include a seat for Palestine,” the statement released Monday indicated.
The Brazilian President also emphasized the importance of a comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including an increase in the number of permanent members of the Security Council. Lula had previously accused Trump of seeking to become the “master” of a “new United Nations” by creating the Peace Council and expanding its role to encompass international conflicts.
The White House announced the Peace Council, chaired by Trump, as part of a plan to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. However, the council’s founding charter granted Trump a broad mandate, raising concerns about the formation of a body that could rival the United Nations.
Lula and Trump have communicated several times since their first official meeting in October, following months of strained relations. Following this rapprochement, the US administration exempted key Brazilian exports from tariffs of 40%, which had been imposed following the trial of Jair Bolsonaro, the former right-wing president and Trump ally.
The Brazilian Presidency further stated that Lula discussed the situation in Venezuela with Trump, calling for the “preservation of peace and stability in the region” following the US military operation that led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro. The Brazilian President had previously considered the operation to have “exceeded acceptable limits.”
During the call, the Brazilian and American presidents agreed that Lula would visit Washington, with the date to be determined after his trips to India and South Korea in February, according to the Brazilian Presidency.
