Shoeless Joe dons slippers and a scarf to pay tribute to Gandhi as he wraps up G20 India trip: Summit addressed Ukraine war but didn’t slap Russia, while Biden shook hands with Saudi Crown Prince MBS
• President Joe Biden paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi Sunday in New Delhi, opting to walk to the Raj Ghat memorial in slippers as opposed to bare feet
• It was his last piece of official business at the G20
• He’s headed to Vietnam next
President Joe Biden opted for slippers while other leaders went barefoot to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi Sunday morning at the Raj Ghat memorial in New Delhi – his last official piece of business at the G20.
Biden got out of the Beast and gabbed with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who presented the U.S. president with a matching scarf.
The president and the other world leaders then took their positions at wreaths on the perimeter of a yellow and orange square floral display that surrounded the eternal flame.
Biden was captured animatedly chatting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak before all the leaders participated in a moment of silence.
Biden will head to Vietnam for meetings and a press conference later Sunday.
This year’s G20 Leaders’ Summit produced a joint declaration that included wording on the Ukraine war that even Russia, another G20 member, signed off on.
That’s because it does’t specifically label Russia as an aggressor, though it does say that the ‘use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible.’
On Saturday, the G20 also officially welcomed the African Union to the table, with Modi making the announcement at the top of the meeting.
Additionally, the U.S. and leaders of India, Europe, and the Middle East announced a project that would establish rail, shipping, and tech corridors meant to link regional economies with the prospect of bringing more stability to the turbulent Middle East.
That announcement brought Biden face-to-face with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, after the White House played coy about whether the two leaders would have an official bilateral meeting at the G20.
The U.S. and Saudi are working toward a so-called ‘mega-deal’ that could lead to Saudi and Israel normalizing relations.
It would be a historic breakthrough for Mideast peace.