The world can be chaotic, but the leaders of the G7 summit managed to laugh – at the cost of Vladimir Putin and In 2009, he was photographed topless riding a horse in the mountains of Siberia.
G7 summit is brings together leaders from seven of the wealthiest countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and USA, along with the EU president. As elite members sat down for lunch on Sunday, the Daily Mail reported that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had begun cracking down on the cafeteria, saying, “Wear coat? Jacket? Shall we take off our clothes? “ The talented British leader continued, saying: “We have to show that we are tougher than Putin.”
CNN reported that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada then spoke, joking that they could move on “Riding a horse bare-chested” with Johnson quipping that they were “Let them see our pecs.” President Biden did not appear to have joined the mockery.
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G7 leaders gathered in Germany for the first day of the summit.
Jonathan Ernst / Reuters
However, Biden had some choice words for Putin that had nothing to do with his fanfare. Russian forces hit residential buildings in Kyiv with rockets on Sunday morning, a move that Biden denounced as “barbaric.”
This year’s G7 will focus at least in part on simultaneously maintaining solidarity against Putin and addressing the devastating economic impact of war, including rising food and gas prices. Biden announced that G7 leaders will ban gold imports from Russia, and the leaders will likely discuss tightening oil sanctions.
“You know, a big focus of the G7 and the leaders will be on how to not only manage the challenges in the global economy as a result of Mr. Putin’s war, but also how to hold Putin accountable.” John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council, said.
When the G7 leaders meet in Germany’s Bavarian Alps through June 28, they will continue to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. But maybe, just maybe, they’ll find time to poke fun at another picture of Putin. Perhaps the one of him falling during a hockey game would make for a well-deserved cocktail conversation?
Putin fell during a hockey game in 2017 in Sochi, Russia.
Yuri Kochetkov / REUTERS
