A passing thought from May 11's "Rare Earths: Reminder, Combined Brazilian and Vietnamese Resource Base Approximately Equals China's Proven and Probable Reserves":
The U.S.and the rest of the West should stop pissing off Brazil and definitely should not piss off Vietnam.
Here's Bloomberg May 20:
Zelenskiy’s Surprise G-7 Stop Unnerves Critical Brazilian Leader
- Lula is uncertain whether to meet Ukraine’s leader: officials
- Brazil’s leader has criticized Zelenskiy, met Russia’s Lavrov
The unannounced attendance of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the G-7 summit has unnerved the Brazilian delegation, which now feels pressure to accept an invitation for a face-to-face meeting with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, according to Brazilian officials.
Lula, who is also attending the Group of Seven summit in Japan as an invited guest, is still on the fence about a meeting with Zelenskiy, said the officials, who asked not to be identified discussing private information.
As opposed to G-7 countries, Brazil has taken a more neutral stance on the war in Ukraine, arguing at times that Zelenskiy, the US and European countries shared blame for Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Lula has softened his stance in recent weeks, however, toning down some comments and dispatching a top aide to Kyiv.
In a meeting Saturday with Emmanuel Macron, the French president urged Lula to sit down with Zelenskiy, according to people familiar with the conversation. A spokesperson for Macron said the French leader discussed Ukraine with Lula, but did not confirm if such a request was made. The Brazilian leader only said in a tweet that Ukraine was discussed....
....MUCH MORE
Bertelsmann's n-tv goes with a picture of a frowny-faced Lula, May 21:
Related:
"Western Outlets Send Warning to Lula Over Ukraine Dissent"
I still haven't figured it out....
Brazil’s Lula Seeks Even Closer Ties China, in Slap to Biden
Foreign Policy, April 21:Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva came to an important decision during his visit to Xi Jinping last week: He will accelerate plans to move Latin America’s largest economy even closer to China and he doesn’t care if this upsets the US.
According to five high-ranking Brazilian government officials, the trip made it clear to Lula that China will be crucial to his goal of reviving Brazil’s industry. His plan includes courting Chinese companies to build new plants in Brazil, getting more funding from China and reducing the role of the dollar in foreign trade transactions, they said, requesting anonymity to discuss Lula’s strategy....
Brazil Courts China to Boost Tech Ties
Lula believes Beijing can help—not hinder—Brasília’s industrial ambitions.
