G7 = US + 6 ( EU3 - France, Germany, Italy with UK, Canada and Japan)
BRICS = Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa
Countries not in the Kananaskis photo
US, Russia, China.
People in the Kananaskis photo
Canada, EU (France, Germany, Italy), UK, Japan
Brazil, India, South Africa
View attachment 94059
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, front fifth from left, stands for the family photo with world leaders and invited guests during the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alta., on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Pictured in the front row from left to right; German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Council President Antonio Costa. Pictured in the back row from left to right; U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, World Bank President Ajay Banga President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney,
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum,
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer,
French President Emmanuel Macron,
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz,
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba,
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese,
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung,
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva,
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa,
World Bank President Ajay Banga
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres
NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen,
European Council President Antonio Costa
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent,
My take -
Zelenskyy was the talking point
Carney assembled the G7 and its Indo-Pacific allies (Australia and South Korea) from which the US absented itself
Carney assembled the CANUSMA group from which the US also absented itself
Carney also assembled BRICS without Russia or China.
Trump made clear that he would rather be talking to Putin and Xi
Carney also assembled the key talking shops of the post WW2 order
The World Bank
The UN
NATO
The EU
The Commonwealth (Canada, UK, Australia, India, South Africa represent the senior members)
....
This is the group of nations that has the potential to work around the US, Russia and China.
The US is taking itself out of the game and Trump feels that Putin and Xi are the only people worth talking to.
One group that I feel was under-represented was the Eastern European and Nordic bloc.
Carney, Starmer and Albanese are very much aligned with Macron's EU.
Not sure how committed any of them are to defence and energy shifts. There have been some notable rhetorical u-turns recently but I remain dubious about long games and principles.
I also remain concerned about the struggle between the dirigistes (Macron, von der Leyen, Costa, Guterres) and those that are more inclined to voluntary cooperation of sovereign states as exemplified by the Commonwealth. I can't identify any particular champions for the latter view just now and that bothers me.
Trump isn't the only authoritarian at large these days.