The Group of Seven (G7) summit is just about wrapping up in Kananaskis, Alberta, but the world’s most powerful leaders wasted no time serving up a few awkward — and downright cringe-worthy — moments.
On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, U.K. Prime Minister Kier Starmer, and E.U. leaders Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen as the usual G7 participants.
Leaders from Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Ukraine — including Anthony Albanese, Lula da Silva, Narendra Modi, Claudia Sheinbaum, Cyril Ramaphosa, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy — were also among the attendees over the two-day event, in addition to a few others.
If there’s one thing global summits prove time and again, it’s how hilariously out of place world leaders can seem when thrust into photo ops and small talk. The awkward energy is real, from stiff handshakes to strange stares and robotic grins.
And this G7 summit, like the rest of them, didn’t disappoint. From Trump’s antics, Meloni’s facial reactions, and Carney’s aggressively passionate handshakes, there was plenty for us plenty to chew on.
Butter fingers
This exchange is like something out of The Office… just unbelievably cringy.
It was giving major Kevin Malone energy, like the time he spilled that giant pot of chilli all over the Dunder Mifflin floor. Except this time, it was Donald Trump fumbling a portfolio and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer dropping down on his hunkers to scoop up it up.
The whole thing was a masterclass in secondhand embarrassment — from the speedy paper spill to the painfully polite chuckles both leaders shared as they tried to play it cool.
But the cherry on top? Trump called it a trade agreement with the E.U., not the U.K.
The U.K. hasn’t been in the E.U. since 2020, which was five years ago.
The look on Starmer’s face said it all. You could almost see the wheels turning as he debated, “Do I correct him?”
All that’s missing is a Jim Halpert-like stare into the camera.
Trump accuses Trudeau of banning Putin from the G7
The clip is hilarious on so many levels — Trump really is the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to a political faux pas.
During Monday’s G7 in Alberta, Trump blamed former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and then-U.S. President Barack Obama for Russia’s suspension from the summit back in 2014, following the annexation of Crimea.
There’s just one small problem: Trudeau wasn’t prime minister yet.
In March 2014, it was actually Conservative PM Stephen Harper who led the charge to have Russia ousted from what was then the G8. Trudeau didn’t take office until October 2015 and, according to a CNN Fact Check, “Trudeau’s Liberals were not even the biggest opposition party in Canada’s House of Commons at the time.”
To make things even more awkward, Trump delivered this historical rewrite while standing beside Trudeau’s successor, Mark Carney.
Carney’s face could paint a thousand words — you’d love a penny for his thoughts!
The “family photo” is awkward… again
Why do world leaders so often end up looking like a group of kids being photographed by their parents on the first day of school?
The stiff stances and uncertain hand placement, particularly among the men, are unintentionally hilarious. E.U. Council President Antonio Costa, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Donald Trump, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz look like kids who were reluctantly stuffed into suits and sent off to a family function.
Merz is like the taller kid who hit an early growth spurt.
French President Emmanuel Macron went for the one hand in the pocket, which was a gutsy move, but he still looks like he’s going on his first day to a wealthy private school.
Canadian and U.K. Prime Ministers, Mark Carney and Keir Starmer, opted for the classic stance: hands crossed, no risks taken.
Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and E.U. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen carried the moment with class. Meloni easily takes the crown for best dressed.
It’s a universal truth at this point: formal event posing remains one of life’s greatest mysteries for men.
Meloni’s eye roll
This clip has gone viral across social media and has serious meme potential.
French President Emmanuel Macron whispers into Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s ear with his hand covering his mouth, and she rolls her eyes in disgust.
What I love about this clip is that Macron is either giving Meloni juicy gossip about another world leader in the room, or he’s said something she disagrees with.
Who were they talking about? What did Macron say? Unfortunately, we’ll probably never know.
Either way, it’s a pretty funny clip.
Macron and Trump getting messy
U.S. President Donald Trump criticizing French President Emmanuel Macron.
@realDonaldTrump | TruthSocial
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump visited Canada for the first time since the 2018 G7 summit in La Malbaie, Quebec.
However, he only lasted a day at the summit as, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, he returned to the U.S. following tensions escalating in the Middle East.
Speaking to the media yesterday, Macron said Trump was returning to the U.S. to work out a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.
This caused Trump to launch an attack on Macron on his social media platform, TruthSocial.
He wrote, “Publicity seeking President Emmanuel Macron, of France, mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to D.C. to work on a “cease fire” between Israel and Iran. Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that. Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong. Stay Tuned!”
Yikes!
Trump and Meloni in deep conversation
There’s something so funny about this photo.
Whatever former U.S. President Donald Trump said to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, it clearly warranted that face — and now the internet wants answers.
Meloni has been unintentionally stealing the show with a full masterclass in facial expressions, from dramatic eye-rolls to this moment of visible disbelief or annoyance.
Speculation online swirled that her earlier eye-roll was aimed at Trump, but Meloni may have headed off the narrative with this candid image, showing she’s not shy about expressing her thoughts — at least, with her face.
It’s the kind of unfiltered reaction that says more than words ever could.
Carney’s handshake game
While the focus has mostly been on the awkward moments from the summit, it’s worth giving an honourable mention to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s standout handshake game.
From the simple, firm handshake with the German chancellor to the quick, casual handshake with Trump, Carney handled each moment with ease.
My personal favourite is how he dapped up Emmanuel Macron so effortlessly.
Day two of the G7 summit wrapped up in Alberta on Tuesday, and it delivered plenty of awkward (and highly memeable) exchanges between world leaders.
With this year’s summit now behind us, all eyes will be on the next gathering to see if the tradition of diplomatic awkwardness continues.
