Donald Trump has announced he will leave the upcoming G7 meeting early, skipping sessions of the meeting on climate change and the environment.
The announcement came after a series of bitter Twitter exchanges between Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“The pointed exchange between the leaders highlighted deep divisions that were already clearly evident before Friday’s summit,” The Guardian says.
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What did world leaders say?
Speaking to reporters, Trudeau and Macron both took aim at the recent introduction of steep trade tariffs by the US, which Trudeau described as “unilateral and illegal”, adding that Trump’s “unacceptable actions are going to harm his own citizens”.
Macron then called on all G7 members to push back against the US attempts to produce a “crude hegemony”.
“I believe in cooperation and multilateralism because I will resist hegemony with all my strength. Hegemony is might makes right. Hegemony is the end of the rule of law,” he said.
Can the group act without the US?
Macron hinted that the remaining members of the G7 would be happy to sign a six country agreement at the meeting, should the US not agree to the terms of any agreements.
“I think we would be making an error if we said we are ready to give up everything, not to talk about the Paris accord or climate, or trade, just to have that signature,” Macron said.
Trump replied to Macron’s remarks via Twitter, saying: “Please tell Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron that they are charging the U.S. massive tariffs and create non-monetary barriers. The EU trade surplus with the U.S. is $151 Billion, and Canada keeps our farmers and others out. Look forward to seeing them tomorrow.”
CNN reports that Trump has been “questioning why he would attend a G7 meeting where he’s outnumbered on key issues like trade and climate change”.
Senior Trump advisors have reportedly told him cancelling the trip to the G7 entirely would “appear like he's shrinking from a fight he proudly began”, the network says.
