Brazil’s Lula Accuses Trump of Trying to Create a ‘New UN’

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Friday accused Donald Trump of attempting to create “a new United Nations” through his proposed “Board of Peace,” warning that it undermines multilateralism.

The veteran leftist leader joins a growing list of world leaders who have declined to sign on to Trump’s new global conflict-resolution body, where a permanent seat reportedly costs $1 billion and the chairmanship would be held by Trump himself.

“Instead of fixing the United Nations, what’s happening? President Trump is proposing to create a new UN where only he is the owner,” Lula said.

Trump unveiled the “Board of Peace” on Thursday at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort town of Davos, appearing on stage alongside leaders and officials from 19 countries who signed its founding charter.

Lula defended multilateralism against what he described as “the law of the jungle” in global affairs. His remarks came a day after a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who urged Lula to protect the “central role” of the United Nations in international relations.

“The UN Charter is being torn apart,” Lula said on Friday.

Although the board was initially presented as a mechanism to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, its charter does not limit its mandate to the Palestinian territory and appears designed to rival the United Nations.

Several key US allies have voiced reservations. Britain has objected to the inclusion of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, while France said the charter in its current form is “incompatible” with its international obligations, particularly its membership in the UN.

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