A family photo with a backdrop of mountain peaks rising against a bright sky, a few steps away from the crystal clear waters of a river: the meeting of the leaders of the club of the industrialised countries, the Group of Seven (Germany, USA, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom) offered several bucolic images.
But the seven leaders focused without delay on the priorities of this summit, whose work will last until Tuesday, at a time of multiple crises: The war in Ukraine, the threats to food and energy security, the urgency of tackling climate change.
Wanting to send a strong message of support to Ukraine, US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced an embargo on Russian gold imports before the decision had even been ratified by the entire G7.
The ban applies to newly mined gold in Russia, not gold that has already been sold. "It will directly hit Russian oligarchs and the heart of Putin's war machine," Boris Johnson asserted.
Danger of Western camp fatigue
The West has already imposed several sets of sanctions against Russia. But Ukraine's government is calling for more, following Russian missile strikes on Kiev this morning, an act of barbarism denounced by Joe Biden.
Faced with the risk of "fatigue" in the Western camp, to which Boris Johnson referred, the US president issued a new call for unity in the G7 and NATO against Moscow.
Vladimir Putin hoped that "one way or another, NATO and the G7 will be divided. But that has not happened and will not happen," the U.S. president said.
Summit host, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised the unity of the allies, which "Putin did not expect." Cameras captured G7 leaders jeering during informal talks at Russia's president and his famous bare-chested pose in a 2009 photo.
As Russian forces advance on Donbass, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will intervene in the summit proceedings tomorrow via teleconference.
This is a critical moment in the evolution of the war, Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron said, according to a British government spokesman.
They believe that "reversing the course of the conflict is possible," according to Downing Street.
No negotiated solution "now"
The British Prime Minister has warned French President Emmanuel Macron against trying to find a negotiated solution "now" to Ukraine, which would risk prolonging "global instability", Downing Street said.
During a meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Schloss Elmau, Bavaria, the two leaders "agreed that the moment is critical for the evolution of the war and that there is the possibility of reversing the course of the conflict," a British government spokesman said, clarifying that they agreed to step up their military assistance to Kiev.
"The Prime Minister stressed that any attempt to settle the conflict now would have no effect other than to cause permanent instability and would give Putin the right to manipulate sovereign states and international markets in perpetuity," the Downing Street spokesman said.
The war in Ukraine and its aftermath will occupy much of the summit talks, with the first few meetings devoted to global economic turmoil.
Joe Biden wants to show Washington's allies that resisting Russia and dealing with China are two complementary, not opposing, goals.
The G7 seeks to oppose China and the "New Silk Roads" by investing in the infrastructure of developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
At Washington's initiative, the G7 leaders announced that they want to activate $600 billion by 2027 under the Global Infrastructure Partnership to respond to Beijing-funded projects.
The leaders of Indonesia, India, South Africa and Argentina have been invited to the annual summit as part of a Western effort to broaden the front of united democracies against the threat of a Russia-China bloc.
Emerging economies are also particularly exposed to the risk of food shortages, soaring energy costs exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and the climate crisis.
Campaigners to tackle climate change expect the G7 to take concrete steps, including planning for a complete phase-out of fossil fuels.
Bilateral talks on the sidelines
With a strong handshake and some warm words, Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson expressed their willingness to warm up, leaving behind many months of tension between them amid the Australian submarine crises and the aftermath of Brexit.
The two leaders face complicated political situations in their countries, with the president of France having lost his absolute majority in the National Assembly and Boris Johnson weakened by a series of scandals.
For his part, the German chancellor is banking on the G7 to restore his popularity, which has been damaged by his boastful attitude towards Kiev.
White House welcomes Berlin's "leadership" in G7 and support for Ukraine
US President Joe Biden expressed his appreciation for Chancellor Olaf Schultz's leadership in the G7 and stressed the importance of a coordinated response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, climate change and economic and democratic resilience, the White House said in a statement on the private meeting earlier today between the two leaders on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Bavaria.
"The leaders underscored their commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as to the continued provision of military, economic, humanitarian and diplomatic support to help Ukraine defend its democracy against Russian aggression," the statement said, noting that the meeting also discussed the joint effort to alleviate the impact of the war on global food and energy security.
"The president welcomed Germany's historic commitment to significantly boost its defense spending and meet its NATO obligations, which will strengthen the Alliance's long-term deterrent and defense posture," the White House stressed, adding that the meeting's agenda also included "the challenges posed by China and a shared commitment to transparent and high-quality solutions to address global gaps in key infrastructure."
Source: CNA
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