In an uncomfortable exchange between the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, at the G7 meeting in Cornwall, England, the former was ignored by the latter as he attempted to elbow-bump her amid Brexit tensions.

Images from the G7 leaders’ summit, according to Bloomberg, hinted at the “tensions and contradictions bubbling under the surface on issues spanning from China to climate change.”

Brexit-related concerns sparked a furious exchange of words between UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, while Merkel attempted to “rise above the fray.”

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The G7 summit, which comprises the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US, provoked a response from China, which declared that a “small” group of countries no longer dictate the fate of the world.

There were a lot of expectations from the Group of Seven summit, and a few pivotal moments — awkward or not — came out of it.

The uncomfortable photos, such as Johnson trying to elbow bump a masked Merkel who didn’t reciprocate, or the barbeque spread where no one appeared to observe the conventions of social distancing, alluded to the tensions and inconsistencies simmering beneath the surface on matters ranging from China to climate change.

Some, such as Brexit, devolved into a verbal spat between Johnson and European leaders over the outstanding concerns of a tumultuous divorce. 

Given the social distancing protocols — or the lack, thereof — and snafus with live broadcasts and transportation, it was also a logistical headache. Nonetheless, host U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson persisted, and a statement was issued, something that seemed inconceivable in the Trump era.

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The spin — and some genuine — attempts to reconcile under the coastal English sun, however, underscored the very real divisions between leaders who had never met, had not seen each other in a long time, or were new to the scene. The situation was one-of-a-kind, and everyone had something to prove.

It was the first physical G-7 meeting in two years, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s farewell summit after 16 years as Europe’s bulwark.

The first summit of major leaders following Donald Trump’s four stormy years in the White House, during which he repeatedly ripped up decades-old friendships and alliances, will serve as a model for post-pandemic international conferences — awkward, as it may have been.