Brazil’s Lula says Trump wants to be ‘emperor of the world’

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attends the 14th Brazil-Portugal Summit at Planalto presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday accused Donald Trump of wanting to “become an emperor of the world”, calling on the US president to respect other countries' sovereignty.

Post-World War II democracy has been an example of the best governance of the last 70 years, said Lula in an interview with a local radio station, “but the way (Trump) acts, he is trying to become an emperor of the world”.

“He is trying to chime in on all countries and in all public policies,” he added.

Lula’s comments come after Trump lashed out at Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky, branding him a “dictator” and blaming him for Russia’s invasion of his country.

Washington has irritated Kyiv by entering into direct talks with Russia in a bid to end the war.

Lula did not give specific examples, but urged Trump to “realize that the sovereignty of each country must be respected.”

Lula, who has not spoken with Trump since he took office in January, reiterated that the United States was an important commercial partner to Brazil and asked for greater gestures of “friendship.”

“We want this protectionism to stop,” he said, referring to tariffs announced by Washington on Brazilian products such as steel.