Trump postpones G7 summit, seeks to add countries to invitation list

By Steve Holland

 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a briefing after the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft on NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. May 30, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would postpone a Group of Seven summit he had hoped to hold next month until September or later and expand the list of invitees to include Australia, Russia, South Korea and India.

 

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One during his return to Washington from Cape Canaveral in Florida, Trump said the G7, which groups the world's most advanced economies, was a "very outdated group of countries" in its current format.

 

"I'm postponing it because I don't feel that as a G7 it properly represents what's going on in the world," Trump said.

 

It was unclear whether Trump's desire to invite the additional countries was a bid to permanently expand the G7. On several previous occasions, he suggested Russia be added, given what he called Moscow's global strategic importance.

 

Russia was expelled from what was then the G8 in 2014 when Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, was U.S. president, after Moscow annexed the Crimea region from Ukraine. Russia still holds the territory, and various G7 governments have rebuffed previous calls from Trump to readmit Moscow.

 

White House spokeswoman Alyssa Farah said Trump wants the countries to discuss China at the summit.

 

Trump has attacked Beijing over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which began in China, and on Friday he ordered his administration to begin the process of ending special U.S. treatment for Hong Kong in retaliation for China's decision to impose a new security law on the former British colony.

 

The decision to postpone the G7 summit is a retreat for Trump, who had sought to host the group of major industrialized countries in Washington as a demonstration that the United States was returning to normal after the coronavirus epidemic, which has killed more than 103,000 Americans to date.

 

Trump had canceled an in-person G7 meeting scheduled for March as the virus spread, but had recently sought to revive it.

 

French President Emmanuel Macron backed the idea of an in-person meeting, according to the White House, but Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to endorse it, saying there were too many health-related questions.

This week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she could not attend.

 

South Korea is aware of Trump's invitation and will discuss the matter with the United States, a government official in Seoul told Reuters on Sunday.

 

The G7 groups the United States, Britain, France, Japan, Germany, Italy and Canada, and the European Union also attends.

 

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Hyonhee Shin in Seoul; Writing by Andy Sullivan and Mike Stone; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Paul Simao and William Mallard)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-05-31

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

 

15 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

"I'm postponing it because I don't feel that as a G7 it properly represents what's going on in the world," Trump said.

 

Yeah right, the fact some leaders of G7 have said they won't attend has nothing at all to do with that decision...

He would have been having a meeting with himself, scary!

Invite China and North Korea, then it will be worth reading about

Its all about bringing Russia back in to get G8 .

The other members of the G7 should just go ahead without Trump and the USA. While they keep appeasing him he will get worse and worse. They should also seriously consider slapping sanctions on the USA.

I wonder who Trump wants on his guest list....

2 hours ago, keith101 said:

Its all about bringing Russia back in to get G8 .

 

Ah, yes, Russia collusion.  There should be just enough time between September and November to initiate another impeachment trial....

Can anyone explain why Thailand would not be invited?

There is already the G20 for stuff like this. Seems trump is doing what he does best, seeking division. This time, amongst his allies.

 

Playing defense for Russian and Chinese geo political goals. Thanks, Donnie. 

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

The other members of the G7 should just go ahead without Trump and the USA. While they keep appeasing him he will get worse and worse. They should also seriously consider slapping sanctions on the USA.

I am wondering  why any such meeting is contingent on a hinvitation from Trump anyway? His pet goal is to destroy the World Trade Org. in perference to  free trade deals which he assumes will enable bully boy tactics and sanction threats rather than any co operative accords. After all his catch  cry is "America First" !

The most sensible thing to do would be to initiate a G9 - which would be 5-eyes plus a second layer of 4 representatives which also would benefit from enhanced security cooperation.

The existing 5-eyes are US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the second layer would be Japan, S. Korea, India and the EU.

 

We are heading into a bipolar world where it will be the west against the Sino-Russian block. This currently paralyses the UN security council, and some of the major decision points will be about ring-fencing China (HK, Taiwan, S. China Sea etc.).

 

Trying to divide allies by bringing in Russia would be counter-productive at this time, and the US needs allies on the Russian borders, and in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

This G9 would be the only grouping powerful enough to deter China from military adventurism on Taiwan.

Edited May 31, 20206 yr by crobe

7 minutes ago, crobe said:

 

This G9 would be the only grouping powerful enough to deter China from military adventurism on Taiwan.

And would the G160 (the non invited) be powerful enough to deter the US from military adventurism on them? 

Can't help but feel all America's enemies would want to see Trump re elected for a second for the total mess he is making. Meanwhile America burns!

1 hour ago, Dumbastheycome said:

I am wondering  why any such meeting is contingent on a hinvitation from Trump anyway? His pet goal is to destroy the World Trade Org. in perference to  free trade deals which he assumes will enable bully boy tactics and sanction threats rather than any co operative accords. After all his catch  cry is "America First" !

Isn't because the now G7 rotates the chairmanship each year and Trump is this year's chairman? 

That said I believe that there has to be a consensus of the G7 members for the meeting and agenda; Trump can't dictate the agenda.

I have no doubt other G7 members will consider these proposal with adequate attention! ????

Why would any foreign leaders other than Putin and his good buddy Kim Jong-un want to meet with Trump?

 

As Putin's puppy his task was to trash all of our alliances and pull back from world leadership!  Trump has done all of this using his usual charm!

 

Trump will be hailed as a Hero of the Soviet Union in Russia!

6 minutes ago, mlmcleod said:

Why would any foreign leaders other than Putin and his good buddy Kim Jong-un want to meet with Trump?

 

As Putin's puppy his task was to trash all of our alliances and pull back from world leadership!  Trump has done all of this using his usual charm!

 

Trump will be hailed as a Hero of the Soviet Union in Russia!

 

Ah, I guess you didn't hear about the Mueller Report? 

17 minutes ago, mlmcleod said:

Why would any foreign leaders other than Putin and his good buddy Kim Jong-un want to meet with Trump?

 

As Putin's puppy his task was to trash all of our alliances and pull back from world leadership!  Trump has done all of this using his usual charm!

 

Trump will be hailed as a Hero of the Soviet Union in Russia!

Let me guess...you are a Democrat, aren't you?

2 hours ago, blazes said:

 

Ah, yes, Russia collusion.  There should be just enough time between September and November to initiate another impeachment trial....

Did you read the flynn transcript?

 

Though there is no crime called 'collusion', that transcript certainly demonstrates what it is. Of course, such a thing was also clear as day when Manafort traveled to Spain just a few days after being named Campaign Manager, and gave GRU asset and Putin friend Konstantin Kilimnik the detailed internal polling data collected by Brad Parscale and Cambridge Analytica for 45's campaign, and which the GRU-run 'Internet Research Agency used to microtarget individual voters in key swing States with false stories about such things as HRC's health.

 

Willing cooperation with a hostile foreign entity? Collusion?  Yes and yes.

The other G7 leaders are likely to ignore any new group meeting until 45 is gone. The word they pass through to US diplomats, apart from anyone appointed by 45, is that they do not consider 45 sane. Some of that leaked into the German press. Of course, the folks in Foggy Bottom, save for Mikey and guys he brought in like Bruce Balatao, are of the same view. Similarly, the staff across the river in Langley are just biding their time until 45 is gone.

 

The agency folks got the very first glimpse into the absurdity and the mendacity that was to be 45's Administration, when 45 traveled to HQ on 21 January 2017, seeded the audience with sycophants he bused in from the WH to clap like trained seals (the first 3 rows of 6 in the lobby were reserved for 45's brought-in cheering squad), and then proceeded to talk about how he's 'like, a really smart guy' who 'probably been on more TIME covers than Tom Brady', and other things that had the agency seniors, who were required to attend, scratching their heads.

3 hours ago, billd766 said:

The other members of the G7 should just go ahead without Trump and the USA. While they keep appeasing him he will get worse and worse. They should also seriously consider slapping sanctions on the USA.

Absolutely! 

A troll post has been removed. 

3 hours ago, samran said:

There is already the G20 for stuff like this. Seems trump is doing what he does best, seeking division. This time, amongst his allies.

 

Playing defense for Russian and Chinese geo political goals. Thanks, Donnie. 

which allies does he has left ? Vlad, Kim and Xi  555

49 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

The word they pass through to US diplomats, apart from anyone appointed by 45, is that they do not consider 45 sane. 

I can't wait for the debates between an insane man and a senile man!

 

Time to change the God bless America with God help America...

Trump cant get 7 people to think he is worth the effort. 

Edited May 31, 20206 yr by Sujo

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

 

The decision to postpone the G7 summit is a retreat for Trump, who had sought to host the group of major industrialized countries in Washington as a demonstration that the United States was returning to normal after the coronavirus epidemic, which has killed more than 103,000 Americans to date.

 

"The major purpose of the G-7 is to discuss and sometimes act in concert to help resolve, global problems, with a special focus on economic issues. The group has discussed financial crises, monetary systems, and major world crises such as oil shortages"

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/g7.asp

 

Mr. Trump has already showed the world by shaming some of these socialist countries into paying their fare share! In time, perhaps next year he can make more inroads 

 

 

 

 

14 minutes ago, riclag said:

 

"The major purpose of the G-7 is to discuss and sometimes act in concert to help resolve, global problems, with a special focus on economic issues. The group has discussed financial crises, monetary systems, and major world crises such as oil shortages"

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/g7.asp

 

Mr. Trump has already showed the world by shaming some of these socialist countries into paying their fare share! In time, perhaps next year he can make more inroads 

 

 

 

 

At the cost to the USA of insulting and alienating allies and friendly countries. The damage that he has inflicted on the USA will take years, decades and perhaps never to rebuild, and some people in the USA want him re-elected for another 4 years.

 

It takes all sorts I suppose.

1 hour ago, Sujo said:

Trump cant get 7 people to think he is worth the effort. 

Fair point. Normally getting a photo op with a US President is gold for world leaders. 
 

Even for his conservative brethren in Australia and the UK, it might be a bridge too far just at the moment. 

Ms. Merkel refused to attend showing good sense as usual because it's obvious she hates Donald Trump and doesn't mind who knows.