Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spoke by telephone with US President Donald Trump on January 26 in their first conversation since the US captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.

In the call, Lula suggested changes to Trump's flagship Peace Council initiative, while agreeing to visit Washington in February.

The 50-minute call addressed bilateral relations, tariffs, Venezuela's political situation and Trump's invitation for Brazil to join his newly created Peace Council, according to a statement from the Planalto Palace, Brazil's presidential office.

Lula suggested the Peace Council should be limited to humanitarian issues and the Gaza Strip situation and should include a seat for Palestine in the debates.

The Brazilian leader also reinforced the importance of comprehensive UN reform, including expanding the number of permanent members of the Security Council, a demand he has made since his first presidential term in 2002.

However, Lula has not yet responded to Trump's invitation to join the council. Last week at an event in Salvador, he slammed the proposal, saying Trump wants to create a new private UN "to control."

Diplomatic sources told TV Globo that Brazil is in no hurry to respond to the Peace Council invitation. Rather than a direct response, the government plans to send requests for technical clarifications regarding legal loopholes in Trump's statute for the council.

The diplomatic assessment is that Brazil should not accept an invitation where countries merely adhere to a pre-established and unilateral statute written by Washington.

A council already established under permanent US presidency with explicit support for only one side of conflicts is viewed with concern by the Brazilian government, according to the sources.

The phone call touched on the January 3 US military action that removed Maduro from power. The Venezuelan president has been detained in New York since then.

“During the conversation, Lula and Trump exchanged views on the situation in Venezuela. The Brazilian president stressed the importance of preserving peace and stability in the region and working for the well-being of the Venezuelan people," the Brazilian government statement said.

Lula has publicly condemned the US intervention. Last week, he called the episode a "lack of respect" and said Latin America "will not bow down to anyone." He added the world is experiencing a "very critical" moment politically and said the UN Charter is being "torn apart," with the prevalence of the "law of the strongest" in international relations.

“Lula expressed interest in strengthening the partnership in combating money laundering and arms trafficking, as well as freezing the assets of criminal groups and exchanging data on financial transactions. The proposal was well received by the US president," the Planalto Palace said.

The presidents also exchanged information on economic indicators from both countries, which point to good prospects for both economies, and addressed the US-Brazil tariff row.

US tariffs on Brazilian products took effect last August, initially motivated by the alleged persecution of convicted former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and perceived threats to US tech platforms.

Since then, the two leaders spoke briefly at the UN General Assembly in September, when Trump said they had "excellent chemistry."

They met again in October at the 47th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia for what Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira described as a "very positive" meeting. Official negotiations on the tariffs began on October 6 when the two leaders first spoke by telephone.

The following month, the US removed a 40% surcharge on several Brazilian products.

Initially, US surcharges affected 37% of Brazilian products exported to the US, but after recent executive orders that percentage dropped to 22%.

The two presidents agreed on a visit by Lula to Washington after the Brazilian president's trips to India and South Korea scheduled for February. The exact date will be determined soon, according to the Presidential Palace.

On January 27, meanwhile, Lula spoke separately by telephone with French President Emmanuel Macron and Chilean President Gabriel Boric, who leaves office in March, according to O Globo.

The Brazilian leader was due to depart later in the day for Panama on his first international trip of 2026 to participate in the Latin America and Caribbean International Economic Forum.