Trump Should Not Meet With Lula Before UN Assembly

Presidents Donald Trump and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) are not expected to meet before the opening of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. The information was confirmed by an employee of Casa Branca heard by Metropolis. The U.S. leader is expected to hold only two meetings on Monday, before the opening of the event.

Around 5 p.m., Trump met with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The president of the Estados Unidos will then receive the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, at 7 p.m. Lula’s agenda, for its part, included meetings with the same New York mayor and with the president of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi.

Trump's agenda at the UN

The U.S. president focuses his commitments on strategic bilateral meetings. The meeting with the mayor of New York took place in the early afternoon, followed by the meeting with Macron. There is no forecast of a meeting with Lula in the official agenda disclosed by Casa Branca.

This absence of a formal meeting is not surprising, as relations between the two leaders have been marked by divergences on issues such as meio ambiente and trade. The source did not detail whether there was an attempted scheduling by the Brazilian government.

Lula in New York

Lula has been in New York since Sunday night (20/9), where he participates in the UN General Assembly. On Monday, the Brazilian president met with the mayor of NY, Zohran Mamdani, and the president of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi. The meetings reinforce Brazil’s diplomatic agenda at the event.

Even before the trip, Itamaraty already assessed as small the chances of a meeting between Lula and Trump. An eventual meeting, however, could happen as last year, when the two briefly chatted behind the scenes of the event. The source did not detail whether there is an expected informal contact this year.

Opening speech

Lula will be the first leader to address the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. The tradition of opening up general debates has been with Brazil since the early years of the UN. The speech should address topics such as climate change, combating hunger and reforming global governance.

The expectation is that Lula reinforces Brazil’s role as a mediator in environmental issues and defender of multilateralism. The absence of a formal meeting with Trump does not prevent the two leaders from crossing paths in the UN corridors, as happened last year.

Brazil-U.S. relations

The bilateral relations between Brazil and Estados Unidos face challenges in areas such as trade tariffs and environmental policies. Despite this, both countries maintain open diplomatic channels and cooperation on issues such as security and energy. The meeting between Lula and the mayor of New York, for example, demonstrates the breadth of the Brazilian agenda in the United States.

The lack of a formal meeting between the presidents is not necessarily a sign of rupture, but reflects the complexity of the political moment. The source did not detail whether there was an official request for a meeting by the Brazilian government.

What to expect from the Assembly

The 81st UN General Assembly brings together leaders from more than 190 countries to discuss key global challenges. Lula’s speech at the opening should highlight the need for climate action and the reform of international institutions. The absence of a meeting with Trump can be compensated by meetings with other heads of state.

The event continues until the end of the week, with a series of panels and bilateral meetings. The Boca no Trombone Portal will continue to monitor the coverage of the General Assembly and the development of relations between Brazil and Estados Unidos.

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Metropoles.com