Lula strengthens ties with China, challenges US influence in Brazil.

Brazilian President Lula has deepened ties with China and Russia, refused to unequivocally condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and proposed a club of non-aligned nations to mediate negotiations. Lula's hedging approach resonates with most developing countries, but risks exhausting goodwill toward Brazil in Washington and Brussels. The rest of the world is watching closely to see if he's able to balance deepening ties with China and Russia while enhancing cooperation with the US and Europe.