G7 summit battles over Russia, Amazon fires and wives

The G7 economic summit in France has promised money and help to fight the fires in the Amazon. But the final day was full of surprises - and not all of them nice.

On the plus side, US President Trump indicated a willingness to sit down with Iran.

But Brazil's leader fell out with the host, President Emmanuel Macron, over the look of their respective wives. 

While the lungs of the world burn in Brazil, the bromance of the world blossoms at the G7 summit in Biarritz.

Trump had his first official meeting with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, with their fondness for one another knowing no bounds.

"I congratulate the president on everything the American economy is achieving - it's fantastic," Johnson said.

The pair, along with counterparts from France, Germany, Canada, Italy, and Japan have pledged NZ$34m to fight the Amazon wildfires.

The G7 funding is enough to pay for just one supertanker to fight the flames for just over two-and-a-half months.

But there's another fire Macron is battling - and it's with his Brazilian counterpart, President Jair Bolsonaro.

The leaders have been feuding in recent weeks, with Macron blaming Bolsonaro for fires in the Amazon and accusing him of lying about climate change policy.

On Sunday, things got personal after Bolsonaro responded to a Facebook post that compared the looks of his wife Michelle, 37, with Macron's 66-year-old wife Brigitte.

"Do not humiliate the man hahaha," Bolsonaro wrote, in a comment widely criticised as sexist.

Asked about the incident at a news conference in Biarritz where G7 leaders are gathered for a summit, Macron said on Monday the comments were "extremely disrespectful" to his wife.

"It's sad, it's sad first of all for him and for Brazilians," Macron said. 

"Brazilian women are probably feeling ashamed of their president."

"Since I have a lot of esteem and respect for the people of Brazil, I hope they will very soon have a president who is up to the job," Macron added.

Also on Monday, Bolsonaro denounced Macron's plan for an international alliance to protect the Amazon, saying on Twitter that it would treat Brazil like a colony.

"We cannot accept a president, Macron, launching unreasonable and gratuitous attacks on the Amazon, or masking his intentions behind the idea of an 'alliance' of G7 countries to 'save' the Amazon, as if we were a colony or a no-man's land," he tweeted.

"Respect for the sovereignty of every country", he added, was "the minimum we can expect in a civilised world."

Other items dominated the agenda too, with President Trump lobbying for Russia's membership in this exclusive club to be reinstated.

"Whether it's G7, G8. I think it would be better to have Russia inside the tent than outside the tent," Trump said.

However, this was opposed by some countries.

"I also made clear that Canada does not support Russia's reintegration to the G7," said Canad's Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.

The US - Iran stalemate could start to thaw too with a possible meeting between Trump and Iranian President Hassan.

"If the circumstances are correct or right I'll certainly agree to that," Trump said.

And of course, Brexit extensively discussed as well.

"It will be difficult. There is a substantial disagreement, but my job is to make our case,' Johnson said.

But the case to extinguish the vast Amazonian fire should be front of mind - though the money the G7's pledging is just a drop in the bucket and many, many more buckets needed to avert this crisis.

Newshub.