The Results of G20 Summit in Hamburg: Isolation of US or Split of the West?

• 07.12.2017, 18:56
•  Europe,  America,  Asia,  World

kremlin.ru

The two-day meeting of the G20 leaders ended in Hamburg,  the brightest moment of which, according to experts, was, perhaps, the historic meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. At the same time, experts note that during the summit, some isolation was noticed on behalf of the US. 

However, it should be noted that the situation around the United States in Hamburg was not a manifestation of it being isolated, but rather a manifestation of a split in the West. The wording of the problematic issues of the summit presented in the final document is a prove to this. In particular, we are talking about the policy of protectionism and combating climate change. Washington's position on these two issues is very different from the position of other participants in the summit.

And although the parties managed to reach a compromise on the final document, however, there is no real rapprochement between the parties. In particular, the G20 countries agreed to abandon the policy of protectionism, while at the insistence of the United States they recognized that in some cases protective measures are necessary.

Another controversial issue was the fight against climate change, the differences around which were deeper because of the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. In the final document, the G20 countries reaffirmed their determination to continue the fight against climate change even without the United States. As a concession by Trump, the document notes that the US wants to help other countries to use energy more efficiently. As a result, after the G20 summit, as well as after the G7 summit, it became clearer that the vision of the international agenda from the point of Trump’s view is quite different from that of the US allies, and that they are not going to adapt to Washington plans.

As for Russia, it should be noted that this summit was one of the most effective summits of over the past few years for the country. This time, the new US president on the center of the attention of international community, which pushed aside the policy of isolating Russia from the West.