The war in Ukraine is a struggle for power and influence. Russia wants to change the world order. The Western democracies are holding out against it and looking for comrades-in-arms. Also at the G7 summit in Elmau.
Sunshine, blue skies, chirping birds and a visibly good-humored German Chancellor: in the idyllic mountain setting at Elmau Castle, Olaf Scholz received the heads of state and government of Argentina, India, Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa on the second day of the G7 summit. “Democracies of the future and with a future,” as Scholz calls them. A handshake, friendly words, then a quick group photo in front of the picturesque backdrop, and then it was off to the working sessions.
The G7, the seven major industrial nations of Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Canada and the USA, are looking for partners and allies. Not only since the Russian attack on Ukraine has it become clear that the world is once again being divided into zones of power and influence. Who is on whose side? Who is friend, who is foe?
Competing with China
With all its might, China is pushing ahead with its project of a new Silk Road and is trying to bind countries to itself through lending and infrastructure projects such as the expansion of ports. The G7 and the EU have long recognized this, but have so far done little to counter it. This is now set to change.
On the first day of the summit, the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment project was given concrete shape. An idea that was already developed at the last G7 summit under the British presidency and has now been backed with 600 billion dollars. This is to be used to finance projects for infrastructure, climate protection and health in developing and emerging countries. The focus is to be on Africa, but other poorer countries can also participate. The program is designed to run until 2027.
Listening to each other
But aren’t Western countries coming too late with this? “If democracies show what they can offer, then they don’t have to worry about winning the competition,” U.S. President Joe Biden says with conviction. With Indonesia and India, the current and upcoming chairmen of the G20 have been invited to Elmau. Senegal holds the presidency of the African Union, Argentina the presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. So they are also multipliers in each case.
“As democracies, we look at the world in a similar way and it is good, important and necessary that we exchange ideas with each other,” Scholz said after the first rounds of work. “Listening to each other creates mutual understanding and that facilitates cooperation.” On issues of climate protection, energy supply and the fight against hunger in the world, the chancellor added, “we talked very well and openly and very constructively with each other.” “This dialogue is very important and it will continue.”
Disagreements remain
Most contentious is how to deal with Russia. When the United Nations condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine in March and called on the Kremlin to end its aggression, India, Senegal and South Africa abstained. On Russia sanctions, Argentina and Indonesia are also out of step with the West. India now imports even more Russian oil than before the war.
The democratic industrialized nations know that, despite their economic power, they cannot isolate Russia if other states undermine the sanctions. But these do not want to throw themselves over with Russia for economic reasons.
Financing fossil energies?
However, the G7 is not only concerned with geopolitical purposes, but also with resources for the economy. The West needs to get out of its energy dependence on Russia. Africa has enormous gas reserves that have not yet been tapped. Senegal could supply LNG, or liquefied natural gas, and the development of a new natural gas field off the West African coast is already under discussion. Russian nickel supplies could be replaced by imports from Indonesia. A country that also has large coal deposits.
Climate activists sound the alarm. “Public money for new gas fields in the Global South is irresponsible in terms of development policy and climate policy,” says the president of “Brot für die Welt,” Dagmar Pruin. After Germany also announced during the last climate conference in Glasgow that it would no longer invest in fossil fuels abroad from 2023, a backtrack in Elmau would be a “historic step backwards in climate policy.”
Coal phase-out to be slowed down
In fact, after the talks between the G7, the EU and partner countries in Elmau, a statement will be released saying that the seven major industrialized nations would commit to the fight against climate change. At the same time, however, they wanted to guarantee the security of energy supply. This also involved gradually phasing out coal and expanding renewable energies in a “socially just” manner.
Word is that the final communiqué of the G7 summit will emphasize the important role of liquefied natural gas in bridging potential shortages, especially in Europe. A draft says public investment in the gas sector is important as a temporary response to the current energy crisis.
Brazil gets more fertilizer
The G7’s attempt to forge closer alliances with democratic emerging and developing countries is being watched with suspicion from Moscow and Beijing. Russia and China will not stand idly by as the West tries to expand its sphere of influence. This was also evident a few days before the G7 summit at a virtual meeting of the BRICS states, which include Brazil, South Africa and India in addition to Russia and China.
In a speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin promoted more economic cooperation in the group and now announced that he would supply Brazil with more fertilizer. Why only to Brazil? Because the leaders of India and South Africa traveled to Elmau?
Sit down at the table with Putin, or not?
It should be interesting to see how plans develop for the G20 summit, which is scheduled to take place in November on the Indonesian island of Bali. In addition to China, Russia is also part of the G20 group of nations. According to the state news agency Tass, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin plans to attend the G20 summit.
What will the West do? German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to decide that only “shortly before departure” and depending on the current situation. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Elmau that she would certainly sit down at the table with Putin at the G20 summit. It was “important to tell him to his face what we think of him,” she stressed.
