The BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro hit a wall Monday morning when Donald Trump, now back in the White House, threatened to slap 10% tariffs on any country pushing what he called “anti-American” policies.
His comment came just hours before the final day of the meeting hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and three days after what Trump publicly described as a “very disappointing” phone call with Vlad Putin.
According to reporting from Bloomberg, officials from the ten-member BRICS group didn’t engage with the US president’s warning as they headed out of their hotels for the summit’s closing session.
Lula refused to speak to reporters. His senior adviser, Celso Amorim, chose a soft but pointed response, saying the threats “only show the need for an organization like the BRICS,” adding, “we didn’t threaten the US with anything.”
The Putin call made Trump very angry
After the call with Putin, Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday morning, Trump said, “I was not happy with the conversation,” referring to the Thursday call with Putin. “I don’t think he’s looking to stop” the war, Trump added.
On Friday, Trump had a follow-up conversation with Zelenskyy, which the Ukrainian side described as “very important and fruitful.” According to Zelenskyy’s public readout, they talked about Ukraine’s air defense systems, joint defense production, and mutual procurement and investment.
Despite that, Trump seemed more agitated after the Putin call. The tariff threat dropped not long after, and while he didn’t directly link the two, the BRICS bloc didn’t need him to. Most of the group took the warning for what it was—a signal. No one reacted publicly with anger or confrontation, but the message was received.
Leaders respond quietly as BRICS avoids escalation
Most delegates played it safe. Officials from various BRICS countries said they couldn’t predict Trump’s next move. One diplomat said Trump “might just forget” he posted the threat. Another said the bloc had no choice but to wait.
“Wait and see is the only option,” one delegate said. Even South African President Cyril Ramaphosa bailed early due to a local crisis, skipping his scheduled bilateral with Lula. That move also signaled how countries were being careful not to provoke Washington further.
The group’s final joint statement covered trade, military budgets, and airstrikes on Iran, which joined BRICS last year. They called out “serious concerns” over tariffs and condemned military aggression—but avoided naming the US directly.
Still, Trump responded fast, posting that any nation siding with what he called the “anti-American policies of BRICS” would face a 10% levy. That threat sent emerging market currencies and stocks down early Monday.
Lula’s meeting included not just the core BRICS members but also reps from Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Vietnam. Saudi’s foreign minister declined to answer questions when approached.
Malaysia’s trade ministry made its position clear, saying it had “an independent foreign and economic policy” and clarified that “the US remains one of Malaysia’s key economic partners.” Amorim said countries were “anchoring themselves in the BRICS in the name of multilateralism.”
That silence speaks volumes. BRICS represents nearly half of the world’s population and a huge slice of the global economy. But with Trump back in power and being the pettiest person on earth, no one’s eager to pick a fight.
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