New Delhi – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, found himself largely overshadowed and overlooked during the G20 Summit in New Delhi. In a gathering of world leaders and diplomats, Trudeau’s experience was marked by diplomatic snubs and a general sense of fading into the background.
The Canadian leader’s struggles at the summit were brought to the forefront by Pierre Poilievre, the leader of Canada’s Conservative Party and a potential successor to Trudeau.
Poilievre did not mince words when he criticized the treatment Trudeau received, describing him as being “repeatedly humiliated and trampled upon by the rest of the world”.
While there was a touch of political jest in Poilievre’s comments, he underscored the sentiment that Canadians, regardless of their political affiliations, would not want to witness their prime minister subjected to such treatment on the global stage.
“Putting partisanship aside, no one likes to see a Canadian prime minister repeatedly humiliated and trampled upon by the rest of the world”, Poilievre remarked on social media, accompanying his comments with a Toronto Sun clipping capturing a moment between Trudeau and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the summit.
The photograph in question depicted Trudeau and Modi engaged in a handshake, but the body language between the two leaders seemed distant and somewhat detached. While Trudeau faced the camera, Modi’s attention was directed elsewhere, pointing to something outside the frame.
Numerous reports from the summit suggested that Trudeau, who has been in office since 2015 and is currently serving his third term, received considerably less attention from world leaders compared to his counterparts.
Leaders such as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, U.S. President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Japanese Premier Fumio Kishida held bilateral meetings with host Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the summit. In contrast, Canada was reportedly granted only a “pull-aside” meeting, indicating a lack of prominence in the global discussions.
During their interaction, Prime Minister Modi raised concerns about Khalistani extremism in Canada and the threats of violence against Indian diplomats posed by Khalistani extremists.
Adding to the challenges faced by the Canadian delegation, their planned departure was unexpectedly delayed due to a “technical snag” detected in their aircraft before takeoff. This unplanned extension of their stay in India further underscored the sense that Trudeau’s visit had been fraught with difficulties.
Trudeau’s experiences at the G20 Summit have prompted conversations about Canada’s diplomatic standing and the evolving dynamics of its international relations. As the Canadian leader navigates these challenges, Canadians and the global community will be closely watching to see how these issues are addressed in the weeks and months ahead.
