Brazil to reject G7 money to fight Amazon fires.

The Brazilian government has said it will reject G7 countries offer of aid from to help tackle fires in the Amazon rainforest.

French President Emmanuel Macron – who hosted a G7 summit that ended on Monday – said $22m (£18m) would be released.

But Brazilian ministers say the money is not needed and accuse foreign powers of wanting control of the Amazon.

Satellite data show fires – mostly in the Amazon region – are burning at record levels.

Commenting on the G7 offer of aid, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s chief of staff, Onyx Lorenzoni, told the Globo news website: “Thanks, but maybe those resources are more relevant to reforest Europe.

Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo says there are already mechanisms under the auspices of the UN climate convention to fight deforestation.

Bolsonaro has previously said his government lacks the resources to fight the record number of fires in the Amazon region.

Greenpeace France has described the G7’s response to the crisis as “inadequate given the urgency and magnitude of this environmental disaster”.

On Monday, actor Leonardo DiCaprio pledged $5m towards helping the rainforest.

Brazil says 44,000 soldiers have been deployed to combat the fires and environmental crimes in the Amazon, and military operations are underway in seven states as the result of requests for assistance from local governments.

Wildfires often occur in the dry season in Brazil, but satellite data published by Brazil’s space agency show an increase of 80% this year.

As the largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon is a vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming. It spans a number of countries, but the majority of it falls within Brazil.