'Incoherent and inconsistent' France hits out at ‘angry’ Trump as US pulls out of G7 pact

Mr Trump, who initially appeared ready to endorse the communique, pulled out after firing off a series of angry tweets aimed at Canadian premier Justin Trudeau.

But a French official insisted France and its fellow G7 European nations were maintaining their support communique and said anyone departing from the commitments made at the summit would be showing their "incoherence and inconsistency”.

He said: "International co-operation cannot depend on being angry and on sound bites. Let's be serious.”

The official hit out after Mr Trump's backed out of the statement drawn up at the Quebec summit, wrecking any attempts for elite group’s efforts to show a united front.

The US President’s announcement, made after he left the summit in Canada early, torpedoed what appeared to be a fragile consensus on the trade dispute between Washington and its allies.

And he made no secret of who he held responsible for his decision to withdraw support.

Mr Trump tweeted: "PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, 'US Tariffs were kind of insulting' and he 'will not be pushed around.'

“Very dishonest and weak. Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270 percent on dairy!" the U.S. president tweeted.

Mr Trump had already left the summit when Mr Trudeau announced retaliatory measures Canada would take next month in response to US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union.

Mr Trudeau said: ”Canadians, we're polite, we're reasonable but we also will not be pushed around.”

Reacting to Mr Trump's tweets, Mr Trudeau's office said: "We are focused on everything we accomplished here at the summit.

“The Prime Minister said nothing he hasn't said before - both in public, and in private conversations with the President."

Mr Trump's salvo capped a rollecoaster two days of controversies that began with his suggestion Russia be readmitted to the G7, then what a French official described as a "rant" full of "recriminations" against US trading partners, followed by a denial of any tensions with leaders at the summit and his description of their relationship as a "10."

But by ordering his representatives to back out of the communique, Mr Trump appeared to be asserting his oft-stated aim of upsetting the status quo whether by pulling out of the global climate accord or the international nuclear deal with Iran or threats to scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement.