British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau joked about the photograph of Russian President Vladimir Putin riding bare-chested during the first meeting of the G7 summit in Elmau, southern Germany.
Johnson asked the other G7 leaders around the table if he should keep his jacket on. “We all have to show that we are tougher than Putin,” he said.
In response, Trudeau said it will be necessary to “ride on horseback bare-chested”, referring to the propaganda photograph released by the Kremlin.
This Sunday is the first of three days of the G7 summit being held in Elmau, in the German Alps, a meeting which precedes the NATO summit scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Madrid.
Putin, who values his sporty image, was repeatedly photographed shirtless in photos released by Russian state media, including one in which he rode a brown horse wearing sunglasses, a gold chain and trousers military.
G7 leaders discussed efforts to further isolate Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, which killed thousands and drove millions from their homes. Britain, Canada, Japan and the United States have announced measures to ban imports of Russian gold. The G7 also includes France, Italy and Germany.
Information from Europa Press and Reuters.
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