LEADERS from the European Union and Latin America gathered today for the first time in eight years for the opening of a two-day summit in Brussels.

Divisive topics ranging from the war in Ukraine to trade, deforestation and slavery reparations are on the meeting’s agenda.

Several EU nations have ties to Latin American countries going back centuries, based on colonialism and slavery.

The nations have wrestled for independence from European powers, including in trade deals where Europeans usually hold an advantage, in cases going back as far as 200 years.

China has offered these countries an alternative trading partner in recent decades and the EU acknowledged that a geostrategic battle for influence is going on.

In talks early today with Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen stressed how important it was to “derisk” their economies —the bloc’s code-speak for distancing from Beijing over fears that Chinese could become more powerful as investors.

Mr Lula said that, as Brazil develops, “we want to share that intense economic activity with our partners in the EU.”

The left-wing leader has been introducing sweeping reforms to the country since taking over from his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.

Several EU nations have powerful agricultural lobbies that seek to keep competition from beef-producing nations like Brazil and Argentina at bay.

After Mr Bolsonaro allowed Amazon deforestation to surge to a 15-year high, EU nations have insisted on tougher environmental standards and raised the prospect of sanctions, which Mr Lula has denounced as unacceptable.

EU officials have insisted that sanctions against countries that fail to comply with the Paris Agreement are not on the table this week and praised Mr Lula’s efforts to rein in rampant deforestation.

“Brazil will meet its climate commitments,” the Brazilian president insisted.