World leaders ridiculed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strongman image during a lunch on the sidelines of a G-7 summit in Germany on Sunday and joked about whether they should just wear T-shirts or something less.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked: “Are we keeping jackets? Are we filming them? They sit at a table at Elmo Castle in Bavaria, where German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is hosting the G7 summit.
The leaders of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US and the European Union discussed the dilemma.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested waiting for an official photo before stripping, but Johnson joked, “We have to show we’re stronger than Putin.”
Trudeau then said, “We’re going to have a scene of a topless jockey riding a horse,” referring to Putin’s famous 2009 photo of him riding a topless horse. For her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said “riding a horse is the best,” without specifically commenting on the clothing issue. “We have to show them our muscles,” Johnson replied. Eventually, the costumed leaders were photographed before the reporters left the room, leaving the dress debate behind closed doors.
