Although the 51st meeting of The Group of Seven (G7) still has one day to go, U.S. President Donald Trump had decided to leave early due to the situation in the Middle East.
On Monday, Canada began hosting the two day G7 meeting at the resort area of Kananaskis in the Canadian Rockies, with leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.S., and the European Union attending.
According to Reuters, several topics were planned to be discussed, including migration, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals. However, Trump had to leave early as the conflict between Israel and Iran is escalating.
Before leaving Canada, Trump posted on his social media, urging everyone to leave Tehran, the capital city of Iran, and emphasized his view that Iran should have agreed to a nuclear deal with the United States.
The G7 has faced challenges in presenting a unified front on the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, particularly as Trump has shown open support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and implemented tariffs targeting several allied nations at the summit.
During a joint appearance with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump argued that it was a mistake for the former Group of Eight to expel Russia in 2014 following its annexation of Crimea. He suggested that if Vladimir Putin had not been excluded, Russia might not have launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
A U.S. official said Trump would not back a statement urging Israel-Iran de-escalation. Still, French President Emmanuel Macron viewed Trump’s departure as helpful for ceasefire efforts and noted that talks had been proposed to advance a truce, though it remains uncertain if the parties will engage.
