Trump Says Looking At Giving Brazil NATO Privileges

The United States is looking "very strongly" at granting Brazil some NATO privileges, President Donald Trump said Tuesday.



"We're very inclined to do that," Trump told reporters at the White House, where he was meeting with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. "We are going to look at that very, very strongly in terms of whether it's NATO or something having to do with alliance."



The president did not elaborate on which privileges he is weighing, and his comments appear to leave open the option that whatever is under consideration could be a bilateral benefit separate from the transatlantic alliance.



Trump has long been a critic of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, calling on other member states to shoulder more of its defense burden by increasing military spending.



Brazil, however, has been seeking an upgrade within the alliance to the status of "major non-NATO ally".



The president further said he is supporting Brazil's bid to join the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, a multinational organization geared towards bolstering economic advancement.



Trump and Bolsonaro are expected to discuss trade, the situation in Venezuela and other matters during their meeting. The leaders are also slated to address the media later Tuesday during a joint press conference. -