G7 leaders gather in Canada for summit overshadowed by Middle East crisis and Trump’s tariffs

10 hours ago 9
ARTICLE AD BOX

The flags of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union up of the Group of Seven (G-7) Leaders' Summit successful Banff, Alberta, Canada, connected Saturday, June 14, 2025.

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Leaders of immoderate of the world's biggest economical powers volition get successful the Canadian Rockies connected Sunday for a Group of Seven summit overshadowed by a widening war across the Middle East and U.S. President Donald Trump's unresolved commercialized warfare with allies and rivals alike.

Israel's strikes connected Iran and Tehran's retaliation, which appeared to drawback galore satellite leaders unawares, is the latest motion of a much volatile satellite arsenic Trump seeks to retreat the U.S. from its relation arsenic satellite policeman.

Speaking connected a formation to Canada to be the summit, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said helium had discussed efforts to de-escalate the concern with Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arsenic good arsenic different satellite leaders.

Britain is sending Royal Air Force jets and different subject reinforcements to the Middle East.

"We bash person longstanding concerns astir the nuclear program Iran has. We bash admit Israel's close to self-defense, but I'm perfectly wide that this needs to de-escalate. There is simply a immense hazard of escalation for the portion and much widely," Starmer said, adding helium expected "intense discussions" would proceed astatine the summit.

Trump is summit's chaotic card

As acme host, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has decided to abandon the yearly signifier of issuing a associated statement, oregon communique, astatine the extremity of the meeting.

With different leaders wanting to speech to Trump successful an effort to speech him retired of imposing tariffs, the acme risks being a bid of bilateral conversations alternatively than a amusement of unity.

Trump is the summit chaotic card. Looming implicit the gathering are Trump's inflammatory threats to marque Canada the 51st authorities and take implicit Greenland. French President Emmanuel Macron is making a highly symbolic halt successful Greenland on his mode to Canada, gathering the Arctic territory's person and Denmark's premier curate aboard a Danish chopper carrier.

Macron, who is 1 of the precise fewer leaders to person known Trump during his archetypal term, was the archetypal European leader to sojourn the White House aft Trump took office, emerging unscathed from the Oval Office encounter.

But contempt the 2 leaders' sporadic bromance, Macron's attack to Trump has failed to carnivore large results, with France caught up successful the president's planned tariffs connected the European Union.

Nor did it bring immoderate U.S. information guarantees for Ukraine contempt Macron's efforts, unneurotic with Starmer, to physique a conjugation of nations that could deploy forces aft immoderate ceasefire with Russia, with the anticipation it would person the Trump medication to supply backup.

Trump is scheduled to get precocious Sunday successful Kananaskis, Alberta. Bilateral meetings betwixt different leaders are imaginable Sunday, but the acme programme does not get underway until Monday.

Peter Boehm, Canada's sherpa of the 2018 G7 acme successful Quebec and seasoned of six G7 summits, expects the heads of authorities to pivot treatment to give much clip to the war.

"Leaders tin accommodate a discussion, possibly adjacent a statement," Boehm said. "The overseas argumentation docket has go overmuch larger with this."

'He tends to beryllium a bully'

Leaders who are not portion of the G7 but person been invited to the acme by Carney see the heads of authorities of India, Ukraine, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, Australia, Mexico and the UAE. Avoiding tariffs will proceed to beryllium apical of mind.

"Leaders, and determination are immoderate caller ones coming, volition privation to conscionable Donald Trump," Boehm said. "Trump doesn't similar the large circular array arsenic overmuch helium likes the one-on-one."

Bilateral meetings with the American president tin beryllium fraught arsenic Trump has utilized them to effort to intimidate the leaders of Ukraine and South Africa.

Former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien told a sheet this week that if Trump does enactment out, leaders should disregard him and stay calm similar Carney did successful his recent Oval Office meeting.

"He tends to beryllium a bully," Chrétien said. "If Trump has decided to marque a amusement to beryllium successful the news, helium volition bash thing crazy. Let him bash it and support talking normally."

Starmer had a warm Oval Office meeting with the president successful February, wooing Trump with an invitation for a authorities sojourn from King Charles III. Trump has praised the British premier minister, contempt their governmental differences.

Zelenskyy expected to conscionable Trump

Last period Britain and the U.S. announced they had struck a trade deal that volition slash American tariffs connected U.K. autos, alloy and aluminum. It has yet to instrumentality effect, however, though British officials accidental they are not acrophobic the Trump medication mightiness spell backmost connected its word.

Starmer's attempts to woo Trump person near him successful an awkward presumption with Canada, the U.K.'s erstwhile colony, adjacent state and chap Commonwealth member. Starmer has besides drawn disapproval — particularly from Canadians — for failing to code Trump's stated tendency to marque Canada the 51st state.

Asked if helium has told Trump to halt the 51st authorities threats, Starmer told The Associated Press: "I'm not going to get into the precise conversations I've had, but fto maine beryllium perfectly clear: Canada is an independent, sovereign state and a much-valued subordinate of the Commonwealth."

The warfare successful Ukraine volition beryllium connected the agenda. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is owed to be the acme and is expected to conscionable with Trump, a reunion coming conscionable months aft their bruising Oval Office encounter which laid bare the risks of having a gathering with the U.S. president.

Starmer met with Carney successful Ottawa earlier the acme for talks focused connected information and trade, successful the archetypal sojourn to Canada by a British premier curate for 8 years.

German officials were keen to antagonistic the proposition that the acme would beryllium a "six against one" event, noting that the G7 countries person plentifulness of differences of accent among themselves connected assorted issues.

"The lone the occupation you cannot forecast is what the president of the United States volition bash depending connected the mood, the request to beryllium successful the news," said Chrétien.

____

Lawless contributed to this study from Ottawa, Ontario. AP reporters Josh Boak successful Calgary, Alberta, Mari Yamaguchi successful Tokyo, Sylvie Corbet successful Paris, Geir Moulson successful Berlin and Nicole Winfield successful Rome besides contributed to this report.

Read Entire Article