France pours scorn on Trump’s ‘little words’
France pledged on Sunday to stand by the G7 summit statement disowned by Donald Trump and took a swipe at the U.S. president by declaring that international cooperation could not depend on “fits of anger” or “little words.”
Apparently incensed by remarks about U.S. tariffs at the closing press conference on Saturday by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump — who had already left the gathering in Quebec — tweeted that he had instructed U.S. officials not to endorse the final communiqué, which had already been agreed and published.
In a statement on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said all of Europe would continue to stand behind the communiqué, which included a commitment by the seven leading industrialized democracies to a “rules-based international trading system” and a pledge to “continue to fight protectionism.”
“We spent two days to obtain a text and commitments. We will stand by them and anyone who would depart from them, once their back was turned, shows their incoherence and inconsistency,” said the statement, quoted by Le Monde, which did not mention Trump by name but was clearly referring to his actions.
“International cooperation cannot depend on fits of anger or little words. Let us be serious and worthy of our people,” the statement said.
Germany also said it remained committed to the G7 declaration.