Brazil's president says he will only accept an offer of international aid to fight the devastating Amazon fires if French leader Emmanuel Macron withdraws his "insults".

Jair Bolsonaro said Mr Macron had called him a liar and he accused the French president of questioning Brazil's sovereignty.

It comes after Brazil's government said it would reject $20m (£16m) in aid from G7 countries to battle wildfires in the Amazon.

Image: Emmanuel Macron (L) and Jair Bolsonaro (R) have been embroiled in a public war of words

Mr Bolsonaro told reporters: "First of all, Macron has to withdraw his insults. He called me a liar.

"Before we talk or accept anything from France... he must withdraw these words then we can talk.


"First he withdraws, then offers (aid), then I will answer."

Mr Bolsonaro and Mr Macron have been embroiled in a deeply personal and public war of words in recent days, with Brazil's president appearing to mock the French leader's wife on Facebook.

Mr Macron responded by saying it was "extremely disrespectful" and "sad".

The French president made the offer of financial aid for the Amazon at the recent G7 summit in Biarritz, France after leaders had discussed fires ravaging the world's largest tropical rainforest - often dubbed "the lungs of the world".

Image: G7 countries have offered $20m (£16m) in aid to tackle the Amazon fires

The G7 nations have pledged $20m (£16m) to help fight the flames in the Amazon and protect the rainforest, in addition to a separate $12m (£9.8m) from Britain and $11m (£9m) from Canada.

Mr Bolsonaro, a right-wing leader who wants to open the Amazon to more farming and mining, had previously said the offer would leave his country like "a colony or no man's land".

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But Mr Macron says the Brazilian president's interpretation is a "mistake", with the money aimed at nine countries in the Amazon region, including Colombia and Bolivia, and not just Brazil.

At least 3,800 square miles are also burning in Bolivia, near its border with Paraguay and Brazil.

A record number of blazes have gripped the Amazon rainforest, drawing international concern because of its importance to the global environment.

The number of fires has risen by 85% to more than 77,000 in the last year, a record since Brazil's National Space Research Institute began keeping track in 2013.

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About half of the fires have been in the Amazon region, with most of those just in the past month.



Amid international outcry over the fires, a foundation backed by Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio pledged $5m (£4m) in aid to the Amazon.