When, where and with whom will the next G7 summit, originally scheduled by videoconference at the end of June, take place? With the international health crisis and Donald Trump's new statements, no one has the answers to these questions yet. The American president announced on Saturday that he would postpone the summit, of which his country is presiding this year, to an unspecified date, and invite other countries to join the meeting, including Russia.
After the American presidential election?
“I do not feel that the G7 correctly represents what is happening in the world. It's a group of countries that is very outdated, "Donald Trump told reporters on the Air Force One plane. The tenant of the White House therefore wishes to invite Russia, South Korea, Australia and India to join an enlarged summit. This could happen in September, before or after the General Assembly of the United Nations, added the American president, specifying that he could also "perhaps do it after the presidential election" in November where he will seek a second mandate. Describing this meeting as "G10 or G11", Donald Trump said he had "summarily" raised the subject with the leaders of the four countries he wishes to see participate in this summit.
This week already, Donald Trump had raised questions by indicating that he could finally organize this big rally, "mainly in the White House" but also potentially partly in the presidential residence of Camp David, on the outskirts of Washington. Originally, leaders were to meet by videoconference due to the coronavirus epidemic.
Merkel says No to Trump
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was the first leader of the group to formally decline this invitation. "To date, given the general situation of the pandemic, it can not accept participation in person, a trip to Washington" in June, said a spokesman for the German government on Saturday. In the evening, the Elysée Palace announced that French President Emmanuel Macron was "available" to go to a G7 summit but in this case wanted "the presence of all".
Donald Trump wants to make a G7 summit with flesh-and-blood leaders the symbol of normalization he calls for, as opposed to a blockage of activity that may cost him electoral costs . His new proposal therefore goes in this direction. He is now awaiting a response from other leaders in the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Not sure that they all agree with the presence of Vladimir Putin. Russia was expelled from what was then the G8 in 2014, after its annexation of Crimea, which has never been recognized by the international community.
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