BRICS countries held an extraordinary virtual summit on Monday at Brazil’s invitation to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies and seek a unified position against American pressure.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping participated in the closed meeting, which ended without a joint statement or media coverage.

Brazilian sources explained that the summit was called in response to Trump’s threats of additional tariffs on BRICS members, following his signing of a decree in late July imposing 50% duties on Brazil, which accused its policies of threatening the United States.

The sources noted that the meeting’s goal was to craft a collective response to Washington’s protectionist policies and escalating economic pressure.