Trump's praise for Lula signals a 'change of tone,' says Celso Amorim.

247 - The speech by US President Donald Trump about President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), during a speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday (23), was received as a “change of tone” by Ambassador Celso Amorim, special advisor to the Presidency, but it will be “necessary to wait for the next few days, or weeks” to see if there will be concrete results in the bilateral relationship between the US and Brazil. The information is from the newspaper The Globe. 

According to Amorim, the surprise was not in the praise itself, but in the contrast with the stance previously adopted by Trump towards Brazil. "I didn't expect to hear praise from Trump for the Brazilian president," the ambassador stated.

Cordiality and diplomatic gesture

During the UN meeting, Lula commented to allies that he greeted Trump cordially and mentioned the possibility of future talks. Amorim highlighted that, although symbolic, the attitude deserves attention. “Talking about a 'nice guy' is a change of tone. How this will resonate with decision-makers is another matter. There were serious problems with Moraes' wife [Alexandre de Moraes, a Supreme Court Justice], and several others. I don't know how this will spread in politics,” the diplomat assessed. 

Caution regarding political impacts

Despite the positive assessment, Amorim reinforced the need for caution. According to him, only the next few days or weeks will indicate whether the statement will have concrete repercussions on the bilateral relationship. "We need to wait for the next few days, or weeks," he said.

Possibility of a meeting between the presidents

When asked about the possibility of a meeting between Lula and Trump in the Oval Office at the White House, Amorim avoided anticipating scenarios. "I don't know how it will be, and if it will be that way, we need to see. Nobody will set preconditions, we have to see," he stated.