The leaders of the G7 countries had little time to take advantage of the enchanting setting of their summit which opened on Sunday in Bavaria, showing their determination to support Ukraine in the face of Russia, targeted by new sanctions.
A family photo against a backdrop of peaks rising up against a radiant sky, a few steps in freshly cut meadows or on the banks of a crystal-clear river: the reunion of the club of the seven industrialized countries (Germany, United States, France, Canada, Italy , Japan, United Kingdom) provided their share of bucolic images.
But the seven leaders quickly tackled the priorities of this summit which is being held until Tuesday in a context of multiple crises: the war in Ukraine, threats to food and energy security, the climate emergency.
Anxious to send a strong signal of support to kyiv, US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced an embargo on Russian gold imports, even before the decision was formalized by the entire G7.
This ban, which relates to newly mined gold in Russia, without targeting that already sold, will hit “directly the Russian oligarchs and will attack the heart of Putin’s war machine”, assured Boris Johnson.
Risk of “tiredness”
The West has already taken several rounds of sanctions against Russia, whose war against Ukraine has entered its fifth month.
But the Ukrainian government is demanding more, after Russian strikes on kyiv on Sunday morning, an act of “barbarism” denounced by Mr. Biden.
Faced with a risk of “fatigue” from the Western camp, mentioned by Boris Johnson, the American president launched a new call for unity of the G7 and NATO against Moscow.
Vladimir Putin hoped “that somehow NATO and the G7 would split. But we haven’t and we won’t,” Biden said.
Host of the summit, the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, also praised the unity of the allies, which “Putin did not expect”. The leaders did not hesitate, during an informal exchange captured by the cameras, to make fun of the Russian president and his shirtless pose during a photo session in 2009.
As Russian troops advance in the Donbass, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will intervene on Monday by videoconference.
This is a “critical moment for the evolution of the conflict”, underlined Boris Johnson and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, according to a spokesperson for the British government.
They believe it is “possible to turn the tide of war”, according to the British Prime Minister’s Office.
No “now” negotiated solution
Boris Johnson however warned against any temptation of a negotiated solution “now” in Ukraine at the risk of prolonging “global instability”.
The conflict and its repercussions will occupy a large part of the discussions with the first interviews devoted to the global economic turbulence.
Joe Biden also wants to demonstrate to his allies that standing up to Russia and facing China are complementary, not opposed, objectives.
In particular, the G7 wants to counter China and its “new silk roads” by investing in the infrastructure of disadvantaged countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
At the initiative of the United States, the leaders announced that they wanted to mobilize nearly 780 billion Canadian dollars, by 2027, supposed to respond to the immense projects financed by China, but with still vague contours.
Weakened leaders
The leaders of Indonesia, India, Senegal, South Africa and Argentina have also been invited to this annual summit as Westerners seek to broaden the front of united democracies against the threat of a block formed by Russia and China.
These emerging economies are also particularly exposed to the risk of food shortages, the explosion of energy costs aggravated by the war in Ukraine and the climate crisis.
Climate players expect concrete progress from the G7, including “planning” for the complete elimination of fossil fuels.
Bilateral discussions complemented the sessions.
With a frank hug and warm words, Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson showed their desire to warm the atmosphere and dissipate several months of tension, between Australian submarine crises and disagreements on the consequences of Brexit.
The two leaders are facing complicated political situations, the French president having just lost an absolute majority in the National Assembly and Boris Johnson being weakened by a series of scandals.
The German Chancellor is betting on this G7 to restore his declining popularity in recent months, failing, according to these detractors, to show firm support for kyiv.