You are correct about all the staff work that is done in preparation for the summit or meeting. The staffers are nicknamed as the sherpas. They do all the heavy lifting. The President is more of a figurehead signing agreements and appearing at press conferences. Multilateral meetings also present opportunities for heads of state to meet one on one privately.
I have been on White House advance teams for about a dozen overseas visits. The President’s movements are choreographed minute by minute with lots of minutiae. For example, President Reagan’s schedule for his Vatican visit included elevator manifests for the party accompanying him to meet the Pope. Nancy’s hairdresser was positioned along the way to minister to her needs.
This is not meant to minimize the President’s role. Reagan ignored the State Department’s advice on his Berlin speech. He also walked out of the meeting in Iceland with Gorbachev.
Biden is an old man. The time change and hectic side meetings associated with the G-7 are too much for him physically and mentally. It would be interesting to learn how many bilateral meetings he attended. And then there are the dinners, meeting with the Queen, etc. Joe doesn’t have the stamina and mental acuity to keep up. He is going to need a long vacation upon returning to the States.
I'm a 76-year old woman, blessed with great health, but the time changes during overseas travel are exhausting. Not to mention having to be "on" during all the public appearances. I should feel sorry for him - but I don't.
Thanks for the insider look.