Trump Exits G7 Early Amid Middle Eastern Crisis
Trump departs G7 meeting prematurely
Cutting his Canada trip short, US President Donald Trump will bid adieu to the G7 summit a day ahead of schedule. The White House's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, points to the chaotic situation in the Middle East as the trigger for Trump's sudden exit.
Bye bye, Canada! Trump will jet off from the G7 summit in the Canadian Rockies on Monday evening, Local Time, following the G7 leaders' dinner. The plan initially called for Trump to stay until Tuesday night.
Before announcing his departure, Trump urged Tehran's residents to vacate the city. "Flee Tehran ASAP", Trump wrote on his personal Truth Social platform, failing to cite the cause for the evacuation notice. Tehran, a densely populated city with over ten million inhabitants, could be a potential target given the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. Israel has been targeting Iranian sites since last Friday, while Iran has retaliated with missiles and drones against Israel. US has yet to deploy troops in the ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, US Defense Minister, Pete Hegseth, has announced that extra US military presence will be sent to the Middle East to bolster defense. He ordered the deployment of additional resources to the US Central Command, responsible for the Middle East, over the weekend, aiming to enhance US's defensive stance in the region.
Surprisingly, the planned meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, originally scheduled at the summit, has been scrapped. Zelensky intended to seek Trump's assistance in Ukraine's defense war against Russia, proposing potential weapons purchases from American manufacturers.
Source: ntv.de, ino/dap/AFP
Intriguingly, the current situation seems to have recalls of Trump's behavior during previous G7 summits, most notably his abrupt exit from the 2018 G7 Summit in Quebec, Canada, shortly after signing a joint statement followed by a scathing tweet[1].
Whilst the G7 summit this year (2025) is being held in Kananaskis, Canada, from June 15–17, 2025, President Trump's appearance, aimed at improving relations and securing a trade and security deal with Canada within 30 days[1], ironically ended up in another unexpected departure.
The following shall be added to the general news: Due to the worsening war-and-conflicts between Israel and Iran, politics surrounding the Middle East crisis is expected to dominate discussions during the remainder of the G7 summit. Moreover, it is likely that politics concerning the ongoing Middle Eastern tensions will also be a significant part of international politics reports.
