BRASILIA, Brazil - US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brazil on Wednesday ahead of talks with his Group of 20 counterparts.
"The United States and Brazil are doing a lot of important work together, we're working together bilaterally, regionally, globally. This is a very important partnership,” Blinken said after the meeting in Brasilia.
The Secretary of State later left for Rio de Janeiro, where the G20 ministerial meeting is being held. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be in attendance so there is likely to be a rare face-to-face interaction between the two.
Blinken plans to discuss the Multinational Security Assistance Mission in Haiti with G20 partners on the sidelines of the meeting, addressing the Haitian people's call for help to restore security and stability.
G20 joint statement on Gaza, Ukraine not expected
The G20, comprising 19 countries including the G7, the European Union and the African Union, represents about 85% of global GDP, 75% of world trade and two-thirds of the world's population.
The G7 consists of the richest and most powerful countries in the world.
Last week, G7 foreign ministers expressed outrage at the death in custody of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and pledged unwavering support for Ukraine to mark two years of Russian aggression.
The G7 foreign ministers' joint statement also called for a prolonged and sustained pause in hostilities leading to a durable ceasefire in Gaza and expressed "deep concern" over the "devastating" impact of Israel's planned military operation in Rafah. More than a million civilians are taking refuge.
Ramin Tolui, assistant secretary of state for economic and trade affairs, said the United States would underscore the damage caused by "the Kremlin's war of aggression" and "encourage all G20 partners to redouble their calls for a just, peaceful and permanent end" to the war against Ukraine.
But Tolui said Brazil "will not try to put together a joint statement" at the upcoming G20 foreign ministers' meeting.
Independent foreign relations
From Brazil, Blinken will travel to Buenos Aires to meet newly inaugurated Argentine President Javier Milli to discuss bilateral and global issues.
Argentina boasts one of the largest Jewish populations in South America. After Mile's recent visit to Israel, a senior U.S. official said Blinken would engage in discussions with Mile on "the way forward between Israel and Gaza." Other topics on the agenda include vital minerals and sustainable economic growth.
Blinken's diplomatic missions in Argentina and Brazil will navigate the unique foreign relations of countries and troubled countries such as Russia, Gaza and China.
Lula initially assured Russia that President Vladimir Putin, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, would not be arrested if he attended the November G20 summit in Brazil. However, he later revised his position, indicating that the decision would ultimately rest with Brazil's judiciary.
During his visit to Cairo on 14 and 15 February, Lula strongly criticized Israel's military actions in Gaza, advocating a "definite ceasefire". He announced Brazil's new contribution to the United Nations Palestine Refugee Agency, or UNRWA, and supported the recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state with full UN membership.
Lula wrote on social media platform X, "While the attack by Hamas militants on October 7 against Israeli civilians is inexplicable and deserves Brazil's strongest condemnation, Israel's disproportionate and indiscriminate response is unacceptable."
In contrast, during a visit to Israel in early February, Miley, a pro-Israel far-right leader, announced his intention to move Argentina's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, something previously done only by the United States and a few other countries.
Miley also announced her government's intention to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization.
The visit marked his first bilateral visit since his debut in December.
After her meeting with Blinken on Friday, Miley plans to travel to Washington and speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, on February 24, a gathering expected to be packed with supporters of former US President Donald Trump.
BRICS and China
In 2025, Brazil will lead the BRICS group of emerging countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), in which China is an important player. During a state visit to Beijing last year, Lula called for BRICS countries to trade in their own currencies and end the US dollar's trade hegemony. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates officially joined the bloc on January 1.
Last month, Lula held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi where the two pledged to strengthen a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
In comparison, Miley rejected the offer to join BRICS. During his presidential campaign, he said he would freeze relations with China.
Miley decided to buy secondhand American F-16 fighters from Denmark, preferring them to newer Chinese JF-17 fighter aircraft.
"The United States is the largest source of foreign direct investment in Brazil, and we have a strong presence of U.S. companies in Brazil as well as Argentina, and we look forward to deepening our economic relationship between them both," Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols said in a recent phone call. told VOA at the briefing.
Nicholls emphasizes the importance of trading freely while understanding the trade-offs involved.
"The United States is offering a comprehensive and powerful alternative to those who may not necessarily have the best interests of others in mind," he said.
