Kananaskis: US President Donald Trump departed the Group of Seven summit in the Canadian Rockies a day earlier than planned on Monday, amidst escalating tensions in the Middle East. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that Trump's early departure was necessitated by the need to address the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, which has seen Israel urging the US to consider military intervention.
According to France24.com, French President Emmanuel Macron revealed that Trump had proposed a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. However, a US official confirmed that Trump declined to endorse a draft statement that called for a de-escalation of the conflict. Despite this, Macron expressed optimism, interpreting Trump's departure as a positive development aimed at securing a ceasefire and initiating broader discussions.
The G7 summit, attended by leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US, and the European Union, was held in the resort area of Kananaskis. Trump's discussions with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney included criticism of the former Group of Eight's decision to expel Russia in 2014 following its annexation of Crimea. Trump suggested that this exclusion may have contributed to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, emphasizing his communication channels with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump's comments raised concerns about the potential impact on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's scheduled meeting with the G7 leaders on Tuesday. European countries aimed to convince Trump to support stronger sanctions against Moscow. Despite Trump's departure, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian embassy confirmed Zelensky's intention to attend the summit.
Canada has opted against pursuing a comprehensive communique to avoid a recurrence of the 2018 summit incident in Quebec when Trump retracted US approval of the final communique post-departure. Leaders have prepared several draft documents concerning migration, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals, but none have received US approval, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Without Trump's presence, the likelihood of any declarations being issued remains uncertain, as noted by a European diplomat. In a related development, Carney extended invitations to non-G7 countries, including Mexico, India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea, Brazil, and Ukraine.
In bilateral discussions, Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer finalized a trade agreement, making Britain the first nation to secure a deal for reduced US tariffs. Carney and Trump agreed to expedite negotiations for a new economic and security agreement within 30 days. Although Trump expressed the possibility of a new economic deal with Canada, he emphasized the necessity of tariffs, a stance opposed by the Canadian government, as articulated by Canada's Ambassador to Washington, Kirsten Hillman.