Photo of Angela Merkel and Donald Trump captures G-7 tensions

DAVID MCHUGH
Germany.- One viral photo is telling it all about tensions at the G-7 summit. A picture of U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel displaying lessthan-friendly body language is turning out to be a defining image of the contentious meeting of the Group of Seven leaders of the world’s advanced economies.

The picture, snapped Saturday by German government photographer Jesco Denzel, shows a standing Merkel with her hands firmly planted on a table staring down at Trump, who is seated with his arms folded and eyes glaring.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stands next to Trump, also with folded arms, as French President Emmanuel Macron leans in next to Merkel.

The photo was tweeted by Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert. Shortly afterward, the White House issued a separate photo showing a sitting Trump speaking as Merkel, Abe and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listen.

The BBC parsed the picture by identifying all nine individuals in it, including British Prime Minister Theresa May, who is barely visible, and Larry Kudlow, head of Trump’s National Economic Council as well as several Japanese officials and U.S. national security adviser John Bolton.