Evaluation: Trump seemed uneasy at G7 summit – his early exit spared him a Ukraine showdown
By James Matthews, US correspondent
With the smoke clearing on Trump’s G7 departure, we’re seeing penalties past the fast precedence within the Center East.
Earlier than that battle blew up, Ukraine was slated as the large ticket merchandise right here. A set-piece present of unity to advance the Ukrainian trigger, with its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy feted as a particular visitor, celebrated and supported.
That was earlier than a Russian-friendly US president took an early aircraft out, the identical president who has fragmented an alliance towards Moscow’s aggression.
This G7 summit was a possibility for the world’s massive economies to coalesce round a unified technique to extend stress on Russia – with out its largest economic system, unity and technique are undermined. It is solely consistent with Donald Trump’s enter since he took energy.
We do anticipate an announcement on new sanctions towards Russia – European international locations have wished to decrease the worth cap on Russian oil, which might be a measure to shrink Putin’s warfare chest.
Trump gave it a physique swerve when he left the gathering, however not earlier than he positioned his playing cards on the desk.
“Let’s have a look at them do it first,” referring to European international locations. “After I sanction a rustic, it prices the US some huge cash. You are speaking about billions and billions of {dollars}.”
It is not all he needed to say on Russia. In a press Q&A upon arrival, he bemoaned the absence of Russia, Moscow having been expelled from the G8 in 2014 following its annexation of Crimea.
It wasn’t what this gathering wished to see or hear – Trump, the visitor who introduced the lead balloon to the celebration.
It was an uneasy juxtaposition because the Canadian host Mark Carney welcomed Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the summit and spoke of the significance of utilizing “most stress”
towards Russia. It is a ‘most’ minimised by Trump’s absence.
Had Donald Trump caught round, in fact, it may need acquired ugly.
On day one, he already seemed uneasy within the firm of political counterparts he has antagonised from a distance.
His early exit spared him the spectacle of a showdown over Ukraine, even when that is one thing G7 members may need welcomed as a possibility lengthy overdue.
Perhaps Trump noticed it coming. Perhaps it led to his going.
