G7 navigates fresh era under Trump's leadership
By Michael Fischer, Kananaskis (dpa)
The G7 group of democratic economic powers is left pondering an uncertain future after Donald Trump's early exit from the recent summit, following a flare-up in tensions between Iran and Israel.
Trump's departure set the stage for a stormy departure, with the former president taking to his Truth Social platform to lambast French President Emmanuel Macron for his "publicity-seeking" claims that he was returning to Washington to work on a ceasefire. In a hasty tweet, Trump dismissed Macron's assertions, stating that "He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a ceasefire." Instead, Trump claimed it was about something "much bigger."
Merz: Not a Drama
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had hoped for a signal of unity from the summit hosted in the Canadian Rockies, but those wishes went unfulfilled. Despite the lack of unity, Merz expressed satisfaction with the proceedings, saying that it was "not a drama" for him. The most crucial discussions, according to Merz, had taken place during the first day of the summit.
Caught Off-Guard
Trump's sudden departure caught his fellow leaders off guard, particularly given speculation that he planned to stay through the end of the summit on Tuesday evening. The motive behind his hasty exit remains shrouded in uncertainty as of Tuesday. Reports suggest that it may involve potential U.S. military intervention in the Israel-Iran conflict or a bid to broker a negotiated settlement.
No Progress on Russia Sanctions and Tariffs
One crucial issue that failed to receive attention during the brief period that Trump was present was the new sanctions demanded by Europeans against Russia. Trump downplayed their importance, claiming that sanctions "cost us a lot of money." Britain and Canada, however, took matters into their own hands by announcing new sanctions against Russia, though without U.S. participation.
Trade Talks Stalled
Also overshadowed by the situation in the Middle East was the ongoing dispute between the EU and the U.S. over trade, which wasn't even addressed during Trump's meeting with Merz.
Conciliatory Signal before Departure
In a rare show of agreement, the remaining leaders managed to agree on a joint statement regarding the escalation in the Middle East. The text emphasized Israel's right to self-defense and portrayed Iran as "the main source of regional instability and terrorism." The leaders also reiterated their ongoing calls for Iran to never acquire nuclear weapons.
G7 Shrinks to G6
On the second day of the summit, the G7 was diminished to the G6 following the absence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky had hoped to leverage the summit for further pressure on Russia in light of escalating attacks on his capital, Kyiv, and Odessa. The sting of his absence was made even sharper when Russia launched heavy air strikes on the two cities shortly after Zelensky's departure, resulting in the loss of 16 lives and over 140 injuries.
Plea to Trump
Zelensky's message was primarily aimed at Trump, in hopes that he would take a more forceful stance against Russian aggression when they met at the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague. The coming summit is expected to focus on strengthening the transatlantic alliance's preparedness to address the ongoing threat from Russia. The U.S.'s role will be critical as Europe seeks to build a more robust defense against Moscow.
The question remains whether Trump will follow through on his promise to attend the NATO summit in The Hague. In a recent interview, Merz expressed cautious optimism, stating that Trump had "firmly promised" to be present.
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[2] The shift toward broader alliances marked a strategic move by Canada to address regional defense capacities and geopolitical challenges.
[3] The summit focused on delivering concrete outcomes for all participants by addressing key themes such as commitments to advance the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, strengthening supply chains, and enhancing international security.
[4] In his absence, the joint statements issued by G7 leaders made it clear that they would continue to stand with Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
[5] Despite the lack of progress on issues like trade and Russia, the G7 summit was not marked by the same level of confrontation as Trump's previous attendance, with European leaders focusing on managing divisions and preventing ruptures with the U.S. rather than masking tensions.
Economic and social policy discussions were overshadowed by the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, as Trump's sudden departure from the G7 summit left the leaders grappling with the uncertainty of his motives. Despite the distraction, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz observed that policy-and-legislation matters were addressed during the initial day of the summit. Moreover, the remaining leaders released a joint statement that included a call for a peaceful resolution in war-and-conflicts zones such as the Middle East and reiterated their commitment to upholding general-news values like democracy and international security.
