10 Photos Of Trudeau & Other World Leaders Being Strange AF At Recent G7 & NATO Summits
Awkward hugs, Men In Black sunglasses, topless pics and so much more.
World leaders with their arms around one another. Right: Joe Biden and Justin Trudeau chat with one another.
When world leaders get together, things always get a little bit weird. From bizarre photos to painfully awkward hugs and handshakes, it seems sometimes top politicians can just struggle to be… normal.
In June, Justin Trudeau and many of his international counterparts gathered to discuss things like Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the global rising cost of living and tackling climate change, among other things.
From June 26 to 28, Trudeau visited Germany for the 2022 G7 Leaders' Summit, before heading to the NATO Summit in Madrid shortly after.
As always, these events prompted some strange conversations, awkward jokes and — naturally — some really bizarre photos.
Here's a look at Trudeau, alongside leaders like Joe Biden, Boris Johnson and Olaf Scholz, just being a little weird (again).
Awkward hugs
\u201cThe @NATO Summit has started \u2013 and we\u2019re more determined than ever to strengthen our Alliance and keep people safe. I\u2019ll be discussing that shared commitment with other world leaders throughout the day. More to come. #NATOSummit\u201d— Justin Trudeau (@Justin Trudeau) 1656499155
After several years of practicing social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems world leaders haven't quite adapted to the new, new, new normal just yet.
Here, it seems Trudeau's counterparts are quite happy with just a handshake, but being a Canadian he just can't seem to stop himself from going in for a little hug.
It looks like Trudeau maybe regrets the tiny hug after the first one, but he's too awkwardly polite to not offer it a second time around.
Greeting others can be hard, eh?
Family photo
\u201cZukunft - wir blicken \u00e4hnlich auf die Welt. Und es ist gut, wichtig und n\u00f6tig, dass wir uns austauschen: zu Klimaschutz, Energieversorgung und den Kampf gegen Hunger mit Vertreterinnen und Vertretern des globalen S\u00fcdens beim @G7-Gipfel. #G7GER\u201d— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz) 1656353272
These "family photos" of world leaders are always a little painful, having been compared in the past to scenes from The Avengers, The Bachelor and even America's Next Top Model.
From the stiff stances to the hands-closed vs. hands-by-your-side dilemma, they just never seem to quite get this right.
Also, did nobody tell British PM Boris Johnson to look at least in the general direction of the camera for this pic?
Sigh. There's always one.
\u201cThe German Presidency also invited five partner countries to attend the G7 Summit: Argentina, India, Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa. In a joint session with international organisations they discuss global challenges they share. #G7GER\u201d— G7 GER (@G7 GER) 1656333721
If you thought the still photo was a little painful, this time-lapse video showing the lead up is excruciating.
The amount of time it clearly takes to get these world leaders standing in a straight line and looking at the camera is almost unbearable — and even then Johnson didn't look in the right direction for the final shot.
Romantic walks
\u201cThis morning, @Bundeskanzler Scholz and I covered plenty of ground \u2013 and spoke about supporting Ukraine with continued military, financial, and humanitarian assistance. We discussed the global impacts of Russia\u2019s military aggression, and how we can address them together, too.\u201d— Justin Trudeau (@Justin Trudeau) 1656348998
You can hardly blame Trudeau and Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz for taking a break from the G7 Leaders' Summit offices to have a walk and a chat.
Their jaunt seems pretty relaxing and the setting is even a little romantic, given the narrow path and subsequent proximity they're required to stand to each other.
The PM says they covered "plenty of ground."
However, this picture does feel a little off, possibly because the photographer appears to be hiding in the bushes.
Action shot
\u201cWe are united by our belief in democracy, and we are united by our belief in the rule of law. We work together on a security architecture for the world that ensures peace - I am sure we will succeed. #G7GER\u201d— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz) 1656276124
Just a group of besties posing beside a mountain, right? … Right?
It's hard to tell whether they're engaging in genuine chit-chat and hanging out here, or whether it's just one of those candid-but-actually-definitely-not-candid shots that come from these types of events.
The fact everybody is standing at a slightly different angle and nobody appears to be in direct conversation suggests that it may be the latter.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, standing on the far left, looks a little like he accidentally stumbled upon this group photo and was just happy to smile beside such an attractive backdrop. Aw.
Putin jokes
\u201cFirst session: to strengthen the global economy, we have to:\n\n\u2022 Tackle inflation, while maintaining growth\n\n\u2022 Support environmental and social sustainability, while maintaining fiscal and financial stability\n\n\u2022 Strengthen supply chains resilience\u201d— Ursula von der Leyen (@Ursula von der Leyen) 1656247942
Before stopping to pose for a photo around this table, the G7 leaders actually joked about posing for some Putin-style topless pics.
Yep, really.
Speaking during the 48th G7 summit, Johnson questioned if the group should remove their jackets before lunch, asking "shall we take our clothes off?"
"We all have to show that we're tougher than Putin!" he added, to which Trudeau responded, "We're going to get the bare-chested horseback riding display."
Upon hearing about this later, Russian President Putin responded by saying, "I don't know how they wanted to get undressed, above or below the waist, but I think it would be a disgusting sight in any case."
Eek.
School project
\u201cAs the @G7 gathers in Germany, Prime Minister @BorisJohnson and I want to be very clear about our support for Ukrainians and for President @ZelenskyyUa: It is unwavering. We stand with you, and we are staying the course.\u201d— Justin Trudeau (@Justin Trudeau) 1656274951
In this weirdly close-up video of Trudeau and Johnson, they look a little like they've been asked to do a group project and are trying to one-up each other.
Just like when you give a presentation at school, it's hard to know whether to look at the audience or your partner, and knowing who should deliver which lines can be challenging.
In response to Trudeau's spot of French, Johnson responds with a sort of finger gun thing, alongside some other hand movements, which the Canadian PM then mirrors.
While they're speaking on a serious topic, it can sometimes feel hard to take these guys totally seriously in moments like these.
Also, why (again) are they standing so close to each other?
Biden's shades
\u201cG7 democracies standing together.\u201d— Ursula von der Leyen (@Ursula von der Leyen) 1656251132
When Joe Biden went viral for forgetting to remove his sunglasses when greeting the queen in 2021, you'd have thought he may have learned his lesson.
Alas, during the G7 summit his aviators were back with a vengeance, and he was filmed and photographed wearing them on many, many occasions.
He was one of just a few leaders who opted for shades during the sunny weekend, and ended up looking a little like a lone celebrity among a group of politicians.
While there's nothing really wrong with Biden wearing his sunnies, it's hard to deny they do look a little Men In Black-esque with the formality of his suit.
Business casual
\u201cStanding with Ukraine for as long as it takes.\n\nTackling energy prices spikes.\n\nProtecting the world from a food crisis.\n\nInvesting in quality infrastructure.\n\nDemocracies deliver. Even more so when they are united.\n\nThis is what the @g7 stands for.\u201d— Ursula von der Leyen (@Ursula von der Leyen) 1656416074
To look a little more approachable and "normal," the guys took off their ties and undid a few buttons for this shot.
Now, the group look like they're about to leave a wedding after a couple of drinks, with Johnson being the "drunk friend" that the rest are propping up for a final photo.
Again, you can't blame them for making the most of that backdrop though.
Family photo 2.0
\u201cUnited, #WeAreNATO. \n\n\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udded\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\uddff\ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\udded\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\uddfb\ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf4\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddf4\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\u201d— UK Prime Minister (@UK Prime Minister) 1656500796
Somehow worse than the G7 leaders family photo just days earlier, you can only imagine how long it must have taken to get this one organized.
Still, it was nice of the group to colour-coordinate their outfits for the occasion.
At least it's nice to see the diversity of leadership across NATO. Oh, wait…