Editorial Board

The G-19 Must Prove Trump Wrong

At their meeting in Germany this week, leaders of the world's big economies can show that multilateralism still works.

July 6, 2017 at 11:30 AM UTC

By The Editorial Board

The Editorial Board publishes the views of the editors across a range of national and global affairs.

They have a point.
Photographer: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

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America's new unwillingness to cooperate with the world on vital international issues will be the main theme at this week's meetings of the Group of 20. Especially on climate change and trade, U.S. President Donald Trump has adopted zero-sum competition -- we win, you lose -- as his guiding principle. Where he sees conflict, his predecessors rightly saw opportunities, under U.S. guidance, for great mutual gain.

The president's dangerous and impoverished approach is a test for the other leaders attending the summit in Germany. How can they best respond to this disturbing withdrawal of U.S. leadership?