G-20 leaders isolate the US on climate change

German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosted a two-day G-20 summit in Hamburg over the weekend, with conversations mainly focused on trade, finance, energy, climate change and migration.

One of the main takeaways from the summit was the public isolation at which the United Stated was exposed on climate. As Reuters notes, the official G-20 communique showed "a rare public admission of disagreement with the U.S. and blow to multilateral cooperation."

Merkel told reporters that "in the end, the negotiations on climate reflect dissent – all against the United States of America," adding that "the fact that negotiations on trade were extraordinarily difficult is due to specific positions that the United States has taken."

Another highlight of the summit was the very first meeting between U.S. President Trump and Russia's President Putin, amid accusations and ongoing investigations of Russian interference in the last U.S. elections and Trump associates with Russian ties. At the end, President Trump preferred to strike a conciliatory tone with Russia's Putin, with Trump defining the meeting as an honor, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, adding that the U.S would rather focus on future opportunities and leave the past behind.