President Trump said on Saturday that he planned to postpone the annual Group of 7 summit of world leaders until September and that he wanted to invite Russia to rejoin as part of an alliance to discuss the future of China.
Mr. Trump told reporters traveling with him aboard Air Force One on his way back from Florida, where he attended the launch of the SpaceX shuttle, that he also planned to invite South Korea, Australia and India to the meeting to discuss China’s future.
“I don’t feel that as a G7 it properly represents what’s going on in the world,” Mr. Trump said, according to a pool report of his remarks. “It’s a very outdated group of countries.”
The United States currently holds the presidency of the Group of 7 industrialized nations, which also includes Germany, Japan, France, Britain, Canada and Italy.
“We want Australia, we want India, we want South Korea,” Mr. Trump said. “And what do we have? That’s a nice group of countries right there.”
Mr. Trump made the announcement not long after Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany had suggested she wouldn’t attend a summit held in Washington amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The president’s saying he would invite Russia — which was indefinitely suspended from the group in 2014 after the annexing of Crimea from Ukraine — could inflame other member nations.
Mr. Trump has previously floated the idea of asking Russia to rejoin, but other member nations have opposed the suggestion, and their approval would be required.
Still, as the host president, Mr. Trump is allowed to invite whoever he wants. And by making Russia one of four countries he said he wants to invite, it means that Russia would be a guest, the way it was before it formally joined the group in the mid-1990s.
Mr. Trump at one point described the theoretical gathering as the “G10 or G11,” which would mean making those countries members — something he cannot do on his own. He said he had had conversations with the leaders of those countries.
At one point Mr. Trump suggested he would host the summit in September, possibly around the time of the United Nations General Assembly, which is slated to begin Sept. 15 in New York, a city that is scheduled to begin its first phase of reopening from coronavirus shutdowns on June 8. At another point, Mr. Trump mused that he might schedule the summit for after the November general election.
Russia’s status in what was then the G8 was a source of consternation for other member nations in 2014, some of whom disagreed on how to punish Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, for aggression in Crimea.
Mr. Putin last visited the United States for an event that was unrelated to the U.N. General Assembly in 2007, when President George W. Bush invited him to the Bush family compound at Kennebunkport, Maine. Mr. Putin, through advisers, has been pushing for another invitation to the United States since 2018. In July of that year, Mr. Trump stunned his director of national intelligence at the time, Dan Coats, when he announced he planned to invite Mr. Putin to visit in the fall. That visit never took place.
Inviting countries with geopolitical significance to discuss China, a country that Mr. Trump has seen as a competitor and an adversary, gives the president a rationale to host Mr. Putin. But the sight of Mr. Putin appearing in the United States two months before the presidential election, after the U.S. intelligence community determined that Russia interfered in the previous one to benefit Mr. Trump, will inflame his critics and risk discomfiting some of his Republican allies.
Even before Mr. Trump’s announcement Saturday, the planning of the summit has fueled months of drama. Mr. Trump had previously suggested holding the summit in June. At the time, officials said it would be held virtually because of the pandemic.
But in late May, Mr. Trump suggested holding the event at Camp David, the rustic presidential retreat that the president has visited only periodically during his term.
It is not only the invitees that have been a source of drama at the U.S.-hosted summit. In October, Mr. Trump announced he would host the summit at one of his private clubs, the Trump National Doral near Miami.
The Coronavirus Outbreak
Frequently Asked Questions and Advice
Updated May 28, 2020
My state is reopening. Is it safe to go out?
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
What’s the risk of catching coronavirus from a surface?
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
How can I protect myself while flying?
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
How many people have lost their jobs due to coronavirus in the U.S.?
More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said.
Is ‘Covid toe’ a symptom of the disease?
There is an uptick in people reporting symptoms of chilblains, which are painful red or purple lesions that typically appear in the winter on fingers or toes. The lesions are emerging as yet another symptom of infection with the new coronavirus. Chilblains are caused by inflammation in small blood vessels in reaction to cold or damp conditions, but they are usually common in the coldest winter months. Federal health officials do not include toe lesions in the list of coronavirus symptoms, but some dermatologists are pushing for a change, saying so-called Covid toe should be sufficient grounds for testing.
Can I go to the park?
Yes, but make sure you keep six feet of distance between you and people who don’t live in your home. Even if you just hang out in a park, rather than go for a jog or a walk, getting some fresh air, and hopefully sunshine, is a good idea.
How do I take my temperature?
Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
Should I wear a mask?
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
What should I do if I feel sick?
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
How do I get tested?
If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.
How can I help?
Charity Navigator, which evaluates charities using a numbers-based system, has a running list of nonprofits working in communities affected by the outbreak. You can give blood through the American Red Cross, and World Central Kitchen has stepped in to distribute meals in major cities.
That prompted a widespread outcry from critics, including some Republicans, who said that Mr. Trump had crossed a line in trying to hold that kind of event at one of his properties, where he would ostensibly profit off the spending of taxpayer funds to host the event and receive free publicity. World leader summits like the G7 typically involve hundreds of officials and support personnel and elaborate security measures.
He then said he would host it at Camp David instead.
Last August, Mr. Trump called for Russia to be readmitted to the summit.
“I think it’s much more appropriate to have Russia in,” Mr. Trump told reporters. “I could certainly see it being the G8 again.”
He said at the time that a rationale for readmitting Russia was that “a lot of the things we talk about have to do with Russia.”
During his presidential campaign, in July 2016, Mr. Trump was dismissive about objections to the Russian incursion into Ukraine during an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC News.
“The people of Crimea, from what I’ve heard, would rather be with Russia than where they were,” Mr. Trump told Mr. Stephanopoulos. “And you have to look at that, also.”
Source: Elections - nytimes.com
