Donald Trump is set for a showdown with other leaders at G7 summit in Quebec, Canada
BRUISING for a fight at the meeting of G7 leaders, Donald Trump accused other countries of taking advantage of the US on trade.
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump is calling for Russia to be reinstated to the leading group of industrialised nations, now known as the Group of Seven.
Speaking to reporters as he prepared to fly to Canada to attend part of the three-day conference, Mr Trump said Russia “should be in the meeting”.
The country was ousted from the elite group in 2014 as punishment for President Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea and its support for pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine.
The suspension was supported by the other members of the group at the time, including the US, Canada, Japan and four European nations.
But despite Russia not being involved against Mr Trump’s wishes, the country and its leader will still cast a long shadow over the summit in Quebec on Friday (local time).
Russia’s alleged campaign of cyber attacks and interference in foreign elections are matters that at least six of the G7 leaders will want to discuss.
Mr Trump, on the other hand, says he won’t be talking about the Russia probe because he’ll be focused on trade talks.
“Look, all of these countries have been taking advantage of the United States on trade,” Trump said. “We have to straighten it out.”
He expressed similar thoughts on Twitter:
I am heading for Canada and the G-7 for talks that will mostly center on the long time unfair trade practiced against the United States. From there I go to Singapore and talks with North Korea on Denuclearization. Won’t be talking about the Russian Witch Hunt Hoax for a while!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2018
Special counsel Robert Mueller is currently investigating whether Trump associates colluded with Russia in a bid to sway the 2016 presidential election in Mr Trump’s favour.
Mr Trump’s comments about Russia rejoining the group prompted a rebuke from former presidential nominee John McCain.
Vladimir Putin chose to make #Russia unworthy of membership in the G-8 by invading Ukraine and annexing Crimea. Nothing he has done since then has changed that most obvious fact. https://t.co/JmHMUk8Nal
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) June 8, 2018
TENSE TALKS ON TRADE
America’s closest allies are bracing themselves for a showdown with the president at the G7 summit, as anger at being slapped with trade tariffs by their most powerful member threatened to split the club.
Much of their anger stems from Mr Trump’s recent imposition of tariffs on imported steel and aluminium, but relations had already been soured by the US pullout from an international climate accord and a deal designed to contain Iran’s nuclear program.
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While the Trump administration has characterised their rift as a family quarrel, his fellow leaders appear to be itching for a fight with the US president.
Mr Trump is the last leader to arrive at the Group of Seven to arrive in French-speaking Quebec, trailing his counterparts from Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Japan as well as the host Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
And the White House confirmed that he would be the first to leave, flying out at 10:30am on Saturday (12.30am Sunday AEST).
Barely 500 days into his presidency, Mr Trump has developed a knack for alienating his fellow leaders while pursuing his “America First” foreign policy, a pushback against a global trade system which he sees as working against US interests.
Even Mr Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron — who have both previously shown a willingness to swallow their differences with the US president — have voiced their willingness to cut the US adrift if they cannot reach some kind of consensus at the summit.
“The American President may not mind being isolated, but neither do we mind signing a six country agreement if need be,” Macron said in a tweet on Thursday amid warnings that the summit may end without a joint statement from all G7 members.
“Because these six countries represent values, they represent an economic market which has the weight of history behind it and which is now a true international force,” added Mr Macron after he had his one-to-one with Mr Trudeau earlier in the day.
Mr Macron and Justin Trudeau signalled they will use the event to take a stance against new US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.
At a joint press conference, Mr Macron stressed: “A trade war doesn’t spare anyone. It will start first of all to hurt US workers.”
Mr Trudeau said: “We are going to defend our industries and our workers.”
Mr Trudeau, for his part, said Mr Trump’s action would hurt American workers as well as Canadians.
“If I can get the president to actually realise that what he’s doing is counter-productive for his own goals as well, perhaps we can move forward in a smarter way,” Mr Trudeau said.
He told reporters that the US justification for the tariffs on national security grounds was “laughable”, triggering a riposte from the president on Twitter.
“Please tell Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron that they are charging the US massive tariffs and create non-monetary barriers,” Mr Trump wrote on Thursday night.
“The EU trade surplus with the US is $151 Billion, and Canada keeps our farmers and others out. Look forward to seeing them tomorrow.”
Mr Trump upped his rhetoric in subsequent Tweets:
Prime Minister Trudeau is being so indignant, bringing up the relationship that the U.S. and Canada had over the many years and all sorts of other things...but he doesn’t bring up the fact that they charge us up to 300% on dairy — hurting our Farmers, killing our Agriculture!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 7, 2018
Why isn’t the European Union and Canada informing the public that for years they have used massive Trade Tariffs and non-monetary Trade Barriers against the U.S. Totally unfair to our farmers, workers & companies. Take down your tariffs & barriers or we will more than match you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2018
Mr Macron is to huddle with Britain’s Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italy’s new Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte ahead of their talks with Mr Trump, as Europe seeks to forge a common approach.
Angela Merkel has said that it may be “more honest” for the G7 to avoid coming up with a joint statement at the end if it means compromising its principles.
The bilateral meetings will precede a series of roundtable discussions before they all tuck into a dinner of lobster, asparagus and maple leaves nestled on a French brioche at the end of the first day of talks.
The summit is being held in a luxury resort in the French-speaking province of Quebec, more than two hours’ drive away from the provincial capital which is where journalists and demonstrators have been largely restricted to.
Previous G7 summits have seen large-scaled anti-globalisation protests. But even though he has made his criticism of globalisation a major part of his appeal to voters, Mr Trump was the main target of a protest by around 400 demonstrators on Thursday night who set fire to US and other G7 flags.
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