On the agenda of the meeting between Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and Joe Biden at the White House, on Friday (10), a topic of disagreement between Brazil and the US will be on the table, amid consensus on democracy and the environment.
The US government will include the theme of the War in Ukraine, a priority conflict for the US government, according to John Kirby, coordinator of strategic communication at the National Security Council.
The conversation between the presidents will cover “not only regional and Brazilian matters, but those of the Hemisphere and global issues”, he said in a conversation with journalists this Wednesday (8). “The Ukraine War had an effect around the world. Food security and energy security were the main ways in which Putin’s war affected nations around the world. And it had a profound impact particularly in Latin America.”
While the American government articulates the sending of a new arms package to Kiev in the amount of US$ 1.75 billion (R$ 9.13 billion), Lula maintained the policy of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) of avoiding more direct interference in the conflict and denied Germany’s request to pass munitions to tanks on the Ukrainian side.
Asked by Sheet if Brazil’s neutrality bothers Biden, Kirby said the country’s stance is part of “sovereign decisions that nations have to make.” “And we respect that”, he said, before describing the war as “totally despicable” and making the US position clear: “I can only speak for the US. We do not believe this is the time for ‘business as usual’ [agir como de habitual]”.
Kirby’s statement echoes Biden’s State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday night, during which he said the US “will be with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
The PT arrives in Washington accompanied by ministers Mauro Vieira (Foreign Relations), Fernando Haddad (Finance), Marina Silva (Environment) and Anielle Franco (Racial Equality), in addition to the special adviser to the Presidency Celso Amorim, Lula’s main adviser for politics external. Also traveling are the secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development Marcio Elias Rosa and Senator Jaques Wagner.
The president will stay at Blair House, the US government residence where foreign leaders usually stay. Lula said he preferred to stay in a hotel, but security concerns were taken into account, given the aggressiveness of some Bolsonaro supporters and the possibility of protests.
At Blair House, the security scheme does not allow any type of non-peaceful act, and access to the square where the residence is located is usually restricted during the visit of foreign delegations.
At the site, Lula will receive US Senator Bernie Sanders in the morning and will meet with deputies from the Democratic Party. In the afternoon, he participates in a meeting with representatives of the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations), the largest union in the country.
Afterwards, he will be received by Biden at the White House. He returns to Brazil on Saturday (11).
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
