British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reiterated his threat to unilaterally suspend the Northern Ireland protocol after European leaders warned in meetings outside the G7 summit that “both sides” must comply with the Brexit agreement. As European leaders exchanged tense accusations, US President Joe Biden drew up an infrastructure plan to contain China’s gains.
This Saturday morning, leaders from Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union seemed to be flustered. Even Queen Elizabeth II, who joined the family photo, dared to joke and ask “should they look like they are having fun.”
Maybe he guessed what would happen next. Shortly after receiving the Queen in Cornwall, England, French President Emmanuel Macron warned Johnson that his government must fulfill its word on Brexit. Otherwise, he would risk jeopardizing the country’s relations with France.
For his part, the British leader, who wanted the issue not to be discussed at the summit, said the EU was creating “all kinds of obstacles” and not “wisely” applying the protocol. “I think we can solve this problem, but our friends and EU partners need to understand that we (the UK) will do whatever it takes.”
With a calm temperament and already more overtly diplomatic tone, the G7 leaders have turned to defending multilateralism, with a particular focus on China and Russia.
Biden convinced the G7 to launch a multi-hundred million dollar infrastructure initiative in “low- and middle-income countries” to compete with China’s New Silk Roads initiative, which consists of major projects aimed at strengthening its international influence. …
A great power project called Restoring a Better World is to help countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and the Indo-Pacific region recover from the pandemic, with a focus on climate, health, digital technology and tackling inequality. – said the White House.
