SAO PAULO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday declined U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion of taking control of the Gaza Strip, labeling his expansionist aspirations and tariff intimidations towards trade partners as mere "bravado".
No country, regardless of its importance, can consistently battle against the entire world, remarked the Brazilian leader during an interview with local radio stations addressing Trump.
Trump introduced a proposition on Tuesday for a U.S. acquisition of Gaza to transform it into a "Riviera of the Middle East" by relocating Palestinians elsewhere, stirring reactions from global powers.
It lacks logic...Where would Palestinians resettle? This scenario is unfathomable to any reasonable person, criticized Lula, advocating for a two-state resolution and reiterating previous condemnations of Israel's military actions in Gaza as genocide.
The responsibility for Gaza should lie with the Palestinians, he emphasized.
Trump's Gaza initiative aligns with his recent propositions. He has floated the idea of reclaiming the Panama Canal, suggested the U.S. acquire Greenland from Denmark, and frequently implied Canada should join as the 51st U.S. state.
Concurrently, he has issued threats of economic repercussions, imposed tariffs, and hinted at further tariff impositions on trade partners, including the and the BRICS group of leading emerging markets.
The United States also relies on the world. It should coexist harmoniously with Brazil, Mexico, China. It's unsustainable to persistently rely on bluster, consistently issuing threats, Lula asserted.
Last week, President Trump cautioned BRICS nations, an alliance Brazil co-founded with Russia, India, and China, against replacing the U.S. dollar as a reserve currency and reiterated tariff threats.
We possess the prerogative to explore establishing trade avenues that reduce our complete dependency on the dollar, stated Lula, who had previously declared intentions to if faced with U.S. tariffs.
The United States has maintained a trade surplus with Brazil since 2008, amounting to $253 million last year amidst bilateral trade exceeding $80 billion.