Angela Merkel has labelled Donald Trump's use of Twitter to withdraw from a G7 communique on trade "sobering and a bit depressing".

The German chancellor used an interview with ARD to confirm the EU would press ahead with retaliatory measures after the US imposed tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.

It has been a day when tensions - exposed in a several photos released during the G7 summit - were vocalised publicly by several of those present at the summit in Charlevoix, Canada.

The communique was supposed to illustrate shared ground between the US, Germany, the UK, Canada, France, Italy and Japan following Mr Trump's imposition of tariffs.

But unity was torn apart when the US president took exception to Canadian PM Justin Trudeau calling US policy "insulting".


Trump and Macron share very firm handshake

Tweeting from Air Force One as he flew to Singapore for his summit with Kim Jong Un, the president wrote: "Based on Justin's false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our U.S. farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our U.S. Reps not to endorse the Communique as we look at Tariffs on automobiles flooding the U.S. Market!

"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 & weak. Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy!"

On Sunday the White House ratcheted up tensions by claiming Canada "stabbed us in the back".

Presidential adviser Peter Navarro even suggested there was a "special place in hell" for Mr Trudeau.

Trump adviser: Place in hell for Trudeau

Germany and France both issued robust responses to Mr Trump's decision to order US officials not to endorse the G7 communique.

German foreign minister Heiko Maas posted on Twitter: "You can destroy an incredible amount of trust very quickly in a tweet.

"That makes it all the more important that Europe stands together and defends its interests even more offensively."

French President Emmanuel Macron's office issuing a statement that warned "international co-operation cannot be dictated by fits of anger and throwaway remarks".

Image: Donald Trump pushed the blame on toJustin Trudeau

It added: "We spend two days working out a [joint] statement and commitments. We are sticking to them and whoever reneges on them is showing incoherence and inconsistency.

"Let's be serious and worthy of our people. We make commitments and keep them."

The response from Mr Macron suggests an end to what observers had noted was a budding "bromance" between the French president and Mr Trump.

Last year, the US president was wowed by a French military parade in Paris after being invited to join Mr Macron for his country's annual Bastille Day celebrations.

In return, Mr Trump made the French president his guest at his first White House state dinner, after which the US president said of his visitor: "I like him a lot."

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At the summit, of which the build-up to had been dominated by Mr Trump's decision to slap tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from Canada, Mexico and the EU, the world leaders had agreed a statement that read: "We acknowledge that free, fair and mutually beneficial trade and investment, while creating reciprocal benefits, are key engines for growth and job creation."

In response to Mr Trump's decision to withhold US support for the summit conclusions, a senior UK government source said: "We stand by the commitments made in the G7 communique."

Germany and France are also standing by the jointly agreed communique.

Mr Trump had already threatened to divide the G7 when he suggested Russia should be allowed to rejoin the group.

Russia was expelled following Vladimir Putin's annexation of Crimea in 2014, which Mr Trump characterised as "something happened a while ago".