Jakarta, Oct. 24, 2025 (Lusa) - The Brazilian President said on Friday that he was "totally interested" in a possible meeting with his US counterpart when they are in Malaysia this weekend, and that he is "willing to defend Brazil's interests".
"I'm totally interested in that meeting. And I'm totally willing to defend Brazil's interests and show that there was a mistake in the tariffs on Brazil," Lula da Silva told the press in Jakarta, the first stop on a tour of Southeast Asia.
"I want to prove with figures that it was a mistake," he emphasised.
Brazil and the United States are experiencing an unprecedented diplomatic crisis after US President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on most Brazilian products following the trial in which former president Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison.
Both Lula and Trump will be attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur next Sunday. However, the White House has yet to confirm whether a private meeting between the two will take place.
The Brazilian President insisted that, from his side, there are no forbidden topics on the negotiating table. "We can discuss anything... From Gaza to Ukraine, Russia, Venezuela, critical minerals, rare earths," he emphasised.
"I'm convinced that we can move forward and return to a civilised relationship with the United States (...) There's no reason to continue like this," he added.
Lula refused to specify what concessions Brazil is prepared to make in the negotiations with the United States, but he was optimistic about the results.
"If I didn't believe it was possible to reach an agreement, I wouldn't have this meeting. I never take part in a meeting where I believe it's not possible to succeed. I'll only know if it's a success if I take part," he added.
Lula, who turns 80 in the next few days, confirmed on Thursday from Jakarta his desire to run for another term in the elections in October next year.
The Brazilian President is due to travel today to Kuala Lumpur, the next stop on his Southeast Asian tour, where he will meet Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Saturday and attend the ASEAN summit on Sunday, just like Trump.
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