Lula, Putin talk Ukraine peace; plan BRICS meet; weigh joint reply to Trump tariffs

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva spoke with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for about 40 minutes on Saturday, the Brazilian presidential palace said. Putin briefed Lula on his talks with the United States and “recent peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine,” as per the statement. The two leaders also discussed BRICS cooperation and the broader international political and economic situation, reported Reuters.Putin initiated the call, during which he discussed his talks with the US on Ukraine and Brazil-Russia cooperation, Lula’s office said in a statement. The two leaders reaffirmed their plans to hold the next Brazil-Russia High-Level Commission on Cooperation later this year as well.This comes amid Lula saying that he intends to call the leaders of the BRICS nations, including South Africa, to coordinate a joint effort to Trump’s tariffs on US imports. The Brazilian president, on Thursday, spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well. Following his talks with Lula, PM Modi wrote in a post on X that a strong, people-focused partnership among Global South nations serves the interests of everyone.Both countries have been hit with 50 percent US tariffs. Lula has said Brazil will not respond to Trump’s 50 percent tariff on its goods with reciprocal measures but will explore the possibility of a coordinated response with its BRICS partners.The ministry of external affairs has called the tariff hike “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,” stressing that India’s imports of Russian oil are guided by market factors and the energy security needs of its 1.4 billion people.Putin is set to meet US president Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday, August 15, to broker a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.