Trade dominated the two-day summit, with leaders of Germany, France, Japan, Canada, Britain and Italy returning to the topic repeatedly.
The Group of Seven leaders came to their summit in Canada braced for battle, and while everyone had smiles ready for the cameras, behind the scenes U. S. President Donald Trump delivered a “rant” and recriminations on trade to U. S. allies, leaving the once united club deeply divided.
Trade dominated the two-day summit that began on Friday with leaders of Germany, France, Japan, Canada, Britain and Italy returning to the topic repeatedly in meetings, at a lavish dinner and by a fireside pit late into the evening.
A photo tweeted by the German government spokesman, @RegSprecher, captured the mood, showing a seated Trump, arms crossed, surrounded by other leaders standing over him.
At what a French described as one “extraordinary” session on Friday, leaders who had vowed to confront Trump over his decision to impose tariffs on U. S. allies last week as part of his “America First” agenda, showered Trump with data one after the other.
Trump gave “a long, frank rant”, the official said, repeating a position he carried through the 2016 U. S. election campaign into the White House that the United States had suffered at the hands of its trading partners, with French President Emmanuel Macron pushing back on the assertion and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe chiming in.
