By Philip Yeung
G7—Trump's one-man show
The G-7 is virtually dead, killed by the disdain of Donald Trump. Never has its summit fizzled out before the eyes of the world, as the latest hosted by Canada. Carefully curated and costing a massive $300 million, it couldn't keep Trump in his seat as he made an early exit, reducing it to a side show not worth his bother.
Australia wants its bread buttered on both sides
Trump abruptly cancelled a scheduled meeting with Australia's Anthony Albanese, which would have been the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders. This snub is hard to shrug off. Australia may treat America as its most important relationship, but that sentiment is not reciprocated. The Aussie leader is left floundering, seeking a military partnership with the EU—a meaningless move, given Australia's distance from Europe. The Australian leadership is strategically retarded, duped by vicious US propaganda against China. The Asian giant is its largest trading partner. It makes no sense to treat it as a military threat. Australia wants its bread buttered on both sides. As for Russia, it is way up there in the Arctic. There is zero existential threat from either country. Geopolitically, Australia is adrift. Instead of reaping the benefits of good neighborly relations in the region, it foolishly inserts itself into a dangerous big-power rivalry. What good has membership in AUKUS, 5-Eyes, and G-7 done for Australia, except conjuring up phantoms of global conflicts and gifting lucrative contracts to US nuclear submarine dealers?
Trump doesn't do alliances
Poor Zelensky, after his public humiliation in the White House, he didn't even get to shake the hand of his insulter. Nothing gets discussed or done at this summit, not even Trump's troublesome tariffs. It is basically a one-man show. When Trump bailed out mid-stream, the rest was an anticlimax.
Trump is a lone wolf. He doesn't do alliances. He wants the world to revolve around him. He is quickly bored with ornamental minor players. Trump's mind is on selling his meme-coins, or newly minted Trump cell phones, and the Iran-Israel war. Who needs a summit when a military parade costing US taxpayers $45 million to celebrate his king-like 79th birthday has hogged all the headlines?
Thank God for henpecked Macron
This year's G-7 summit was rescued from invisibility only by the amorous looks exchanged between Macron and his female Italian counterpart. Macron is the most comically newsworthy of the supporting cast, after being publicly shoved or slapped by a wife old enough to be his mother.
The G-7 now exists at the margins. Previously, Trump had boasted that the Ukraine War would never have happened had he been calling the shots. But he has emboldened Netanyahu to launch pre-emptive airstrikes against Iran, setting a hot Mid-east area ablaze. This war has Trump's fingerprints over it, with the US leader calling for Iran's unconditional surrender and urging Tehran's residents to evacuate. He refused to sign a joint statement with other summit leaders calling for a mutual de-escalation. There goes his Nobel Peace Prize.
What a weird and wacky world we live in. A convicted criminal with a bully's cruelty is now the center of gravity. The Trump turbulence is rippling across the world. Where do we go from here? That depends on which side of the bed Trump gets off each morning. His impulses and whims are about as predictable as the weather. Alliances are meaningless. Cooperation is a devalued currency, with US allies treated no better than adversaries. Just ask Canada and Mexico.
Trump likes raining on G-7's parade
Trump has a habit of raining on the G-7 parade. Seven years ago, he refused to sign its joint communique and famously insulted his Canadian host, Justin Trudeau, calling him "dishonest and weak". Trump might have felt cuckolded by Trudeau, whose good looks had attracted longing gazes from
First Lady Melania. Trump is Canada's curse. Every time it hosted the G-7 summit, Trump could be counted on to be its party pooper. He either made an early exit or left it in disarray.
Will G-9 replace G-7?
Trump, however, does not hesitate to make an open suggestion that Russia and China be invited to join the forum. He clearly considers both near-equals in the major league. The rest belongs to the bush league. Until G-7 becomes G-9, Trump is likely to treat it with undisguised disdain. Under Trump, it is no more than a boring champagne-chugging club. Thank God for henpecked Macron. A reddish slapped face that belongs to a president attracts attention. The G-7 may no longer be relevant, but at least it is cute and comedic.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
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