Whom the Gods Would Drive Mad, They First Send to the G7 Summit

June 26, 2022 (EIRNS)—The G7 nations began today a three-day session in Bavaria, at the Schloss Elmau hotel. As collective insanity is the present norm, it is expected that the two favorite subjects—more heavy weapons to Ukraine and more sanctions on Russia—are central on the agenda. The U.S. is also bringing back “Build Back Better” as, supposedly, a counter to the Belt and Road projects; and London wants to rally the G7 to join in a boycott of Russian gold.

President Biden is reported to have called upon Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz to not allow dissension: “We have to stay together, because Putin has been counting on from the beginning that somehow NATO and the G7 would splinter. But we haven’t and we’re not going to.” Scholz took the cue and sang: “The summit must send not only the message that NATO and the G7 are more united than ever, but also that the democracies of the world stand together against Putin’s imperialism just as they do in the fight against hunger and poverty.”

Otherwise, Reuters cites an unnamed German government official, to report that the G7 leaders are holding “very constructive” talks about a potential cap on the price of Russian oil imports: “We are on a good path to reach an agreement.” U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen explained that such a cap was desirable “in order to mitigate global inflation and fuel price hikes in the West, as well as reducing Moscow’s oil revenue.” But no one has yet explained how Russia will be convinced to lower its oil price for countries whose stated intention is to wipe Russia off the map.

Britain’s Guardian daily reports that a “deferral of climate change commitments, a potential famine in Africa and the further supply of weapons to Ukraine are to crowd into” the G7 topics. They explain the overall pre-set theme is that “sanctions are slowly working in degrading the Russian war machine, and will be stepped up if damage to the wider world economy can be contained.” But there is concern that Putin won’t play along. There “is no guarantee that Vladimir Putin would not respond by cutting gas supplies further. Gazprom cut gas supplies by 60% last week, citing maintenance problems caused by the lack of supply of parts from Canada.... The Nord Stream 1 pipeline is due to shut down altogether for regular two-week summer maintenance in July and there are fears Putin would” leave Europe high and dry.

It is of some note that invited partner countries this year include Senegal, currently chairing the African Union; Argentina, currently heading the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States; as well as Indonesia and India, the current and next hosts of the G20 group of large industrial nations. Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo announced that he would travel to Moscow and serve as a mediator in the Ukraine conflict.