G7 Summit Begins in the Canadian Rockies: Will Trump Cooperate or Cause Chaos?
Will Trump Intend to Destroy the G7 Summit?
This weekend, the leaders of the G7 countries—Canada, USA, Germany, Italy, France, UK, and Japan—will convene in the Canadian Rockies for a three-day summit. For Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, this will be his debut in this high-stakes gathering. But the event's success hinges heavily on the behavior of US President Donald Trump, a man not exactly known for his love of multilateral collaboration.
After the incident at the 2018 summit in Canada, when Trump withdrew his support for a joint communique on Twitter, there will be no comprehensive final declaration this time around[5]. Instead, the emphasis will be on modest agreements on topics where all G7 nations concur. "The most significant goal will be: The seven largest industrial nations in the world are united and they are capable of acting," said Merz before his departure to Canada[3].
Iran will likely be a hot topic at the summit, with Merz declaring his belief in Israel's right to defend its existence and security against the existential threat posed by Iran's nuclear weapons program[3]. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also attend, but no joint statement on Ukraine is expected.
One area of potential agreement may be the issue of sanctions against Russia. A German government official noted that the aim is to engage the US in ongoing talks between Russia and Ukraine[4]. EU is advocating for increased pressure on Russia, but it remains to be seen if the US and Europeans will align on this[4].
Trade disputes remain a contentious issue, with US tariffs heavily affecting Canada due to their close economic ties[6]. Regarding the EU's proposed reduction of the price cap for Russian oil, there are positive signals from Canada, the UK, and possibly Japan[4]. However, it remains uncertain if Trump will follow suit.
Maintaining US support for Ukraine will also prove a significant challenge, according to Berlin. Key issues include continued intelligence sharing with the Ukrainian army, which Trump has criticized in the past[4].
Despite the potential for disruption, there will be meetings between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, which may suggest a more diplomatic approach[1]. The 2002 G7 summit in Kananaskis, set amidst nature, followed a trend of moving large summits away from big cities to secluded hotels, aiming to avoid escalating violence between protesters and police[7].
[1] ntv.de, vpe/rts/AFP/dpa[2] [Link to article about international tensions][3] ntv.de, vpe/rts/AFP/dpa[4] [Link to article about US-EU alignment on sanctions][5] [Link to article about Trump disrupting previous G7 summits][6] [Link to article about US tariffs affecting Canada][7] [Link to article about G7 summits being held in secluded locations]
The Commission has also been consulted on the draft budget, given the ongoing global political landscape, as international tensions related to war-and-conflicts, such as the Iranian nuclear weapons program, are expected to be discussed at the G7 Summit. The politics surrounding these issues, particularly US relations with the EU and Russia, are of great importance and may lead to disagreements among the G7 leaders.
