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G7 summit in the shadow of war


War, climate, hunger and poverty. The agenda of the Summit is suffocatingly full. Host Olaf Soltz sets ambitious goals, hoping for political benefits as well.

At the Elmau Tower, in an idyllic landscape in the mountains of Bavaria, Chancellor Soltz welcomes the remaining leaders of the group of the 7 strongest economies on the planet tomorrow, Sunday. The summit, attended by Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, Canada and the United States, concludes on Tuesday.

The war in Ukraine has pushed aside climate change, hunger and poverty from the top of the agenda.

Chancellor Soltz is expected to use the role of host to improve the reputation of the reluctant leader. In recent weeks, Germany has received international criticism for delays in sending heavy weapons to Ukraine. The hesitation is partly due to internal party reasons. Many Social Democrats believe that without Russia’s active participation, peace in Ukraine is not possible. The brutality of the Russian troops, however, is slowly but surely bending the internal party resistance to Soltz’s plans to strengthen the Ukrainian armed forces.

“Germany should make demands for a leading power”

At the same time, Social Democrat leader Lars Klingbail said: “Germany should make demands for a leading power. After 80 years of caution and restraint, the country now has a new role to play in international affairs. In recent decades, we have secured the trust of our partners. “We are more and more in the spotlight. We have to live up to expectations.”

At the G7 Summit, the Chancellor will have the opportunity to prove his leadership skills. If he manages to find a common ground between the seven prime ministers and heads of state, he will also reap political benefits.

At the Elmau tower, the group of 7 will look for solutions for the tons of grain that are still blocked in Ukrainian ports. The UN is already warning of the worst famine in decades. Many countries in the South of the world are still affected by the effects of the pandemic, to which are now added cereal shortages. The German chancellor’s warning is typical: “If we fail to show solidarity in practice with these countries, then powers such as Russia and China will take advantage of it.”

Sabine Kincharts

Edited by: Stefanos Georgakopoulos

Source: Deutsche Welle

Source: Capital

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