BRICS group condemns increase of tariffs in summit overshadowed by Middle East tensions

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The BRICS bloc of developing nations on Sunday condemned the increase of tariffs and attacks on Iran, but refrained from naming U.S. President Donald Trump. The group's declaration, which also took aim at Israel's military actions in the Middle East, also spared its member Russia from criticism and mentioned war-torn Ukraine just once.

The two-day summit was marked by the absences of two of its most powerful members. China’s President Xi Jinping did not attend a BRICS summit for the first time since he became his country’s leader in 2012. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who spoke via videoconference, continues to mostly avoid traveling abroad due to an international arrest warrant issued after Russia invaded Ukraine.

In an indirect swipe at the U.S., the group's declaration raised “serious concerns” about the rise of tariffs which it said were “inconsistent with WTO (World Trade Organization) rules.” The BRICS added that those restrictions “threaten to reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains, and introduce uncertainty.”

Trump, in a post on his social media platform late Sunday, said any country that aligns itself with what he termed “the Anti-American policies of BRICS” would be levied an added 10% tariff.

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who hosted the summit, criticized NATO's decision to hike military spending by 5% of GDP annually by 2035. That sentiment was later echoed in the group's declaration.

“It is always easier to invest in war than in peace,” Lula said at the opening of the summit, which is scheduled to continue on Monday.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who was expected to attend the summit before the attacks on his country in June, sent his foreign minister Abbas Araghchi to the meeting in Rio.

The group's declaration criticized the attacks on Iran without mentioning the U.S. or Israel, the two nations that conducted them.

In his speech, Araghchi told leaders he had pushed for every member of the United Nations to condemn Israel strongly. He added Israel and the U.S. should be accountable for rights violations. The Iranian foreign minister said the aftermath of the war “will not be limited” to one country.

“The entire region and beyond will be damaged,” Araghchi said.

BRICS leaders expressed “grave concern” for the humanitarian situation in Gaza, called for the release of all hostages, a return to the negotiating table and reaffirmed their commitment to the two-state solution.

Later, Iran's Araghchi said in a separate statement on messaging app Telegram that his government had expressed its reservation regarding a two-state solution in a note, saying it will not work “just as it has not worked in the past.”

Also on Telegram, Russia’s foreign ministry in another statement named the U.S. and Israel, and condemned the “unprovoked military strikes” against Iran.

The group's 31-page declaration mentions Ukraine just once, while condemning “in the strongest terms” recent Ukrainian attacks on Russia.

“We recall our national positions concerning the conflict in Ukraine as expressed in the appropriate fora, including the U.N. Security Council and the U.N. General Assembly,” the group said.

João Alfredo Nyegray, an international business and geopolitics professor at the Pontifical Catholic University in Parana, said the summit could have played a role in showing an alternative to an unstable world, but won’t do so.

“The withdrawal of Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the uncertainty about the level of representation for countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are confirming the difficulty for the BRICS to establish themselves as a cohesive pole of global leadership,” Nyegray said. “This moment demands high level articulation, but we are actually seeing dispersion.”

While Lula advocated on Sunday for the reform of Western-led global institutions, Brazil aimed to avoid becoming the target of higher tariffs.

Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs against the bloc if they take any moves to undermine the dollar. Last year, at the summit hosted by Russia in Kazan, the Kremlin sought to develop alternatives to U.S.-dominated payment systems which would allow it to dodge Western sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022

Brazil decided to focus on less controversial issues in the summit, such as promoting trade relations between members and global health, after Trump returned to the White House, said Ana Garcia, a professor at the Rio de Janeiro Federal Rural University.

“Brazil wants the least amount of damage possible and to avoid drawing the attention of the Trump administration to prevent any type of risk to the Brazilian economy,” Garcia said.

BRICS was founded by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, but the group last year expanded to include Indonesia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.

As well as new members, the bloc has 10 strategic partner countries, a category created at last year’s summit that includes Belarus, Cuba and Vietnam.

That rapid expansion led Brazil to put housekeeping issues — officially termed institutional development — on the agenda to better integrate new members and boost internal cohesion.

Despite notable absences, the summit is important for attendees, especially in the context of instability provoked by Trump’s tariff wars, said Bruce Scheidl, a researcher at the University of Sao Paulo’s BRICS study group.

“The summit offers the best opportunity for emerging countries to respond, in the sense of seeking alternatives and diversifying their economic partnerships,” Scheidl said.

Earlier on Sunday, a pro-Israel non-profit placed dozens of rainbow flags on Ipanema beach to protest Iran's policies regarding LGBT+ people. On Saturday, human rights group Amnesty International protested Brazil's plans for offshore oil drilling near the mouth of the Amazon River.

For Lula, the summit is a welcome pause from a difficult domestic scenario, marked by a drop in popularity and conflict with Congress.

The meeting was also an opportunity to advance climate negotiations and commitments on protecting the environment before November's COP 30 climate talks in the Amazonian city of Belem.

World leaders partake in the 17th annual BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed, left, shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during the 17th annual BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

From left, Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China's Premier Li Qiang pose for a group photo at the 17th annual BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, second from right, chats with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during the 17th annual BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Soldiers patrol Flamengo Beach next to the Sugar Loaf mountain ahead of the 17th annual BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Members of the Brazilian Navy patrol along the Guanabara Bay waterfront, ahead of the upcoming 17th annual BRICS summit, in Rio de Janeiro, Thursday, July 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, right, holding an empty box representing Vietnamese fish, and Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, holding an empty box representing Brazilian beef, pose for photos after signing a bilateral trade agreement, ahead of the upcoming 17th annual BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, right, flashes a thumbs up as he and China's Premier Li Qiang pose for photos during their bilateral meeting ahead of the upcoming 17th annual BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum — a plan that rides on their comfort in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.

Since the U.S. military raid to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity for the U.S., seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, saying the U.S. is taking over the sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil and will be controlling sales worldwide indefinitely.

On Friday, U.S. forces seized their fifth tanker over the past month that has been linked to Venezuelan oil. The action reflected the determination of the U.S. to fully control the exporting, refining and production of Venezuelan petroleum, a sign of the Trump administration's plans for ongoing involvement in the sector as it seeks commitments from private companies.

It's all part of a broader push by Trump to keep gasoline prices low. At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.

The meeting, set for 2:30 p.m. EST, will be open to the news media, according to an update to the president's daily schedule. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.

Trump is set to meet with executives from 17 oil companies, according to the White House. Among the companies attending are Chevron, which still operates in Venezuela, and ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, which both had oil projects in the country that were lost as part of a 2007 nationalization of private businesses under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

The president is meeting with a wide swath of domestic and international companies with interests ranging from construction to the commodity markets. Other companies slated to be at the meeting include Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Singapore-based Trafigura, Italy-based Eni and Spain-based Repsol.

Large U.S. oil companies have so far largely refrained from affirming investments in Venezuela as contracts and guarantees need to be in place. Trump has suggested on social media that America would help to backstop any investments.

Venezuela’s oil production has slumped below one million barrels a day. Part of Trump's challenge to turn that around will be to convince oil companies that his administration has a stable relationship with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, as well as protections for companies entering the market.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are slated to attend the oil executives meeting, according to the White House.

Meanwhile, the United States and Venezuelan governments said Friday they were exploring the possibility of r estoring diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that a delegation from the Trump administration arrived to the South American nation on Friday.

The small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement.

Trump also announced on Friday he’d meet with President Gustavo Petro in early February, but called on the Colombian leader to make quick progress on stemming flow of cocaine into the U.S.

Trump, following the ouster of Maduro, had made vague threats to take similar action against Petro. Trump abruptly changed his tone Wednesday about his Colombian counterpart after a friendly phone call in which he invited Petro to visit the White House.

President Donald Trump waves as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)