Strong words, tense and anger highjacked the 2018 G7 summit. As analysts expected US allies fought against Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminium from EU, Canada and Mexico. Trump abruptly withdrew support for a joint G7 communique, after G7 summit, for the first time in G7 history.
US vs China. Then US vs Canada and Mexico and EU. Canada and Mexico and EU vs US. Tariff conflicts escalate on a global level to a tariff war.
Although the G7 summit official agenda does not explicitly mentions it, trade war, US tariffs and climate change will lead the talks. Recently Trump decided to impose 10% and 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminum, respectively, from EU, Canada and Mexico. The response on the part of once US allies was instant. Such differences on core issues may result to absence of the usual joint communique for the first time in G7 history.
Almost one week after Trump’s decision to call off his greatly expected summit with North Korea’s leader, the summit is back on track. After a lot of back-and-forth, high diplomacy and threats on either side, the Singapore summit is official. The meeting will finally take place on the 12th of June. It will be the first-ever meeting between US and N. Korea at the level of Heads of State.
Second day of negotiations for the US Secretary of State and North Korean envoy, Kim Yong Chol in New York. Kim Yong Chol, Pyongyang’s senior official and trusted adviser to North Korea’s leader, met Pompeo in Wednesday in a private dinner. Nuclear talks take place ahead of Singapore summit.