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Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 17European Leaders Use World Cup, UFC to Court Trump at G7 as Macron Hosts Final Summit
3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 17Summary
- European leaders leaned on sports talk at the G7, using the World Cup and UFC to connect with Donald Trump during summit exchanges.
- Emmanuel Macron, hosting his last G7 summit, prepared closely for those conversations, aiming to keep the meeting on track and avoid friction.
- UFC became a useful opening after Trump had hosted a title fight before leaving Washington and French fighter Ciryl Gane won the heavyweight belt.
- The outreach underscored how personal rapport with Trump remained part of summit diplomacy as leaders tried to smooth talks on broader issues.
Insights
Did personalized diplomacy at the G7 yield tangible results or just a temporary truce? How is the White House's first pro sporting event reshaping global diplomacy? Is mastering a leader's hobbies now as crucial as mastering policy?