US did not agree to fund combatting Amazon rainforest fires at G7 summit, national security spokesperson says

The United States did not agree to a $20m (£16.4m) fund aiding Brazil amid an increase in annual fires raging across the Amazon Rainforest, according to a spokesperson for the National Security Council.

The fund was reportedly established at the G-7 summit this week, after French President Emanuel Macron announced the economic world powers had agreed to help Brazil and other countries combat the fires.

While fires throughout the rainforest are not uncommon, they have swelled to the highest levels in nearly a decade under Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, who has spoken out in favour deforestation.

The Brazilian president rejected the fund at first, before walking his comments back and suggesting he would be willing to take the money if Mr Macron were to first apologise for critical remarks he previously made about Mr Bolsonaro.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump — who failed to show up for a meeting on global climate at this week’s summit — voiced his support for the Brazilian president after he rejected the international aid package.

Mr Trump said he had “gotten to know” Mr Bolsonaro, who he said was “working very hard on the Amazon fires”.

The economic aid package was agreed to at the climate meeting Mr Trump appeared to miss, according to the French president. Several members of Mr Trump’s team at the summit were reportedly in attendance, however.

In a statement first reported by Reuters, Garret Marquis, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said: “The United States stands ready to assist Brazil in its efforts to combat these fires, and did not agree to a joint G7 initiative that failed to include consultations with President Bolsonaro.”

This year there has been a reported 79 per cent rise of the amount of fires burning across the rainforest, totalling 80,626 according to CNN.

As criticism mounted over the Brazilian government’s apparent refusal to accept international aid to combat the fires, Mr Bolsonaro suggested Mr Macron and others instead turn their efforts “to reforest Europe”.

Mr Macron assured reporters the US had committed to the aid package, that while Mr Trump “wasn’t in the room … his team was”.

“You shouldn’t read anything into the American president’s absence,” he added. “The United States is with us on biodiversity and on the Amazon initiative.”