G7 leaders struggle for unity as Trump says removing Russia from group was a mistake
KANANASKIS, Alberta: Group of Seven leaders met on Monday (Jun 16) seeking a common approach on wars in Ukraine and the Middle East but faced early challenges as US President Donald Trump said removing Russia from the former Group of Eight over a decade ago had been a mistake.
The once tight-knit grouping has struggled to find unity as Washington retreats from multilateralism and Trump overtly expresses support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
G7 leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US, along with the European Union, are convening in the resort area of Kananaskis in the Canadian Rockies until Tuesday.
Speaking alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump said the former Group of Eight had been wrong to kick out Russia in 2014 after it annexed Crimea.
"This was a big mistake," Trump said, adding he believed Russia would not have invaded Ukraine in 2022 had Putin not been ejected.
"Putin speaks to me. He doesn't speak to anybody else ... he's not a happy person about it. I can tell you that he basically doesn't even speak to the people that threw him out, and I agree with him," Trump said.
Though Trump stopped short of saying Russia should be reinstated in the group, his comments raise doubts about how much Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can achieve when he meets the leaders on Tuesday. European nations say they want to persuade Trump to back tougher sanctions on Moscow.
Trump spoke on Saturday with Putin and suggested the Russian leader could play a mediation role between Israel and Iran.
French President Emmanuel Macron dismissed the idea, arguing that Moscow could not be a negotiator because it had started an illegal war against Ukraine.
A European diplomat said Trump's suggestion showed that Russia was very much on US minds.
European officials said they hoped to use Tuesday's meeting with Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and next week's NATO summit to convince Trump to toughen his stance.
"The G7 should have the objective for us to converge again, for Ukraine to get a ceasefire to lead to a robust and lasting peace, and in my view it's a question of seeing whether President Trump is ready to put forward much tougher sanctions on Russia," Macron said.
In another early sign the group of democracies may struggle to reach agreement on key issues, a US official said Trump would not sign a draft statement calling for de-escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict.
A Canadian official, though, said the conflict would come up in bilateral meetings throughout the day and it was too early to speculate on the outcome of those conversations. A senior European diplomat echoed those comments, saying Trump had yet to make a decision.
DRAFT DOCUMENTS
Canada has abandoned any effort to adopt a comprehensive communique to avert a repeat of the 2018 summit in Quebec, when Trump instructed the US delegation to withdraw its approval of the final communique after leaving.
Leaders have prepared several draft documents seen by Reuters, including on migration, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals. None of them have been approved by the United States, however, according to sources briefed on the documents.
Without Trump, it is unclear if there will be any declarations, a European diplomat said.
The first five months of Trump's second term upended foreign policy on Ukraine, raised anxiety over his closer ties to Russia, and resulted in tariffs on US allies.
Talks on Monday will centre around the economy, advancing trade deals, and China.
Several leaders arrived in Canada, a country Trump has repeatedly threatened to annex as the 51st US state, in hopes of making progress on trade negotiations with the United States.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he hoped there would be steps towards a solution to a tariff dispute with the United States, even if a solution itself could not be reached at the summit.
Britain and the United States should finalise "very soon" the implementation of a trade deal agreed last month, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
Britain was the first country to agree a deal for lower tariffs from Trump, but implementation has been delayed while details were finalised.
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CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
G7 leaders struggle for unity over Trump's Russia comments, tariff policy
KANANASKIS, Alberta: Group of Seven leaders faced early challenges during meetings in Canada on Monday (Jun 16) as US President Donald Trump said removing Russia from the former Group of Eight over a decade ago had been a mistake. The once tight-knit grouping has struggled to find unity over conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East as Trump overtly expresses support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and has imposed tariffs on many of the allies present. G7 leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US, along with the European Union, are convening in the resort area of Kananaskis in the Canadian Rockies until Tuesday. Speaking alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump said the former Group of Eight had been wrong to kick out Russia in 2014 after it annexed Crimea. "This was a big mistake," Trump said, adding he believed Russia would not have invaded Ukraine in 2022 had Putin not been ejected. "Putin speaks to me. He doesn't speak to anybody else ... he's not a happy person about it. I can tell you that he basically doesn't even speak to the people that threw him out, and I agree with him," Trump said. Though Trump stopped short of saying Russia should be reinstated in the group, his comments raise doubts about how much Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can achieve when he meets the leaders on Tuesday. European nations say they want to persuade Trump to back tougher sanctions on Moscow. Zelenskyy said he planned to discuss new weapons purchases for Ukraine with Trump. European officials said they hoped to use Tuesday's meeting with Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and next week's NATO summit to convince Trump to toughen his stance. In another early sign, the group of democracies may struggle to reach agreement on key issues, a US official said, Trump would not sign a draft statement calling for de-escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict. A Canadian official, though, said the conflict would come up in bilateral meetings throughout the day and it was too early to speculate on the outcome of those conversations. A senior European diplomat echoed those comments, saying Trump had yet to make a decision. DRAFT DOCUMENTS Canada has abandoned any effort to adopt a comprehensive communique to avert a repeat of the 2018 summit in Quebec, when Trump instructed the US delegation to withdraw its approval of the final communique after leaving. Leaders have prepared several draft documents seen by Reuters, including on migration, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals. None of them have been approved by the United States, however, according to sources briefed on the documents. Without Trump, it is unclear if there will be any declarations, a European diplomat said. Talks on Monday centred around the economy, advancing trade deals, and China. Another European diplomat said leaders agreed in early sessions that China is the real competitor and G7 allies should not paralyse themselves with trade conflicts. The leaders discussed expanding the G7 to include other democracies, the diplomat added. Carney invited non-G7 members Mexico, India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea and Brazil, as well as Ukraine. TARIFFS Trump, who travelled to Canada with his top trade negotiators, is expected to discuss trade and tariffs with the leaders of Japan, India and Australia, among others, on the sidelines of the summit. Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday they had finalised a trade deal reached between the two allies last month, making Britain the first country to agree to a deal for lower US tariffs. Sources familiar with the planning said they are not expecting the completion of new trade deals during the G7 summit, however. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he hoped there would be steps towards a solution to a tariff dispute with the United States, even if a solution itself could not be reached at the summit. Carney said in a statement he had agreed with Trump that their two nations should try to wrap up a new economic and security deal within 30 days. Trump said a new economic deal with host Canada was possible but stressed tariffs had to play a role, a position the Canadian government strongly opposes.
Business Times
an hour ago
- Business Times
G7 leaders struggle for unity over Trump‘s Russia comments, tariff policy
[KANANASKIS, Alberta] Group of Seven leaders faced early challenges during meetings in Canada on Monday as US President Donald Trump said removing Russia from the former Group of Eight over a decade ago had been a mistake. The once tight-knit group has struggled to find unity over conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East as Trump overtly expresses support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and has imposed tariffs on many of the allies present. G7 leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US, along with the European Union, are convening in the resort area of Kananaskis in the Canadian Rockies until Tuesday. Speaking alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump said the former Group of Eight had been wrong to kick out Russia in 2014 after it annexed Crimea. 'This was a big mistake,' Trump said, adding he believed Russia would not have invaded Ukraine in 2022 had Putin not been ejected. 'Putin speaks to me. He doesn't speak to anybody else ... he's not a happy person about it. I can tell you that he basically doesn't even speak to the people that threw him out, and I agree with him,' Trump said. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Though Trump stopped short of saying Russia should be reinstated in the group, his comments raise doubts about how much Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy can achieve when he meets the leaders on Tuesday. 'It was a rough start,' said Josh Lipsky, a former senior IMF official who now chairs the international economics department at the Atlantic Council. 'This is not the way that Canada wanted the summit to start ... But there's time to get things back on track.' European nations say they want to persuade Trump to back tougher sanctions on Moscow. Zelenskiy said he planned to discuss new weapons purchases for Ukraine with Trump. European officials said they hoped to use Tuesday's meeting with Zelenskiy and Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte and next week's NATO summit to convince Trump to toughen his stance. In another early sign the group of democracies may struggle to reach agreement on key issues, a US official said Trump would not sign a draft statement calling for de-escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict. A Canadian official, though, said the conflict would come up in bilateral meetings throughout the day and it was too early to speculate on the outcome of those conversations. A senior European diplomat echoed those comments, saying Trump had yet to make a decision. Draft documents Canada has abandoned any effort to adopt a comprehensive communique to avert a repeat of the 2018 summit in Quebec, when Trump instructed the US delegation to withdraw its approval of the final communique after leaving. Leaders have prepared several draft documents seen by Reuters, including on migration, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals. None of them have been approved by the United States, however, according to sources briefed on the documents. Without Trump, it is unclear if there will be any declarations, a European diplomat said. Talks on Monday centered around the economy, advancing trade deals, and China. Another European diplomat said leaders agreed in early sessions that China is the real competitor and G7 allies should not paralyse themselves with trade conflicts. The leaders discussed expanding the G7 to include other democracies, the diplomat added. Carney invited non-G7 members Mexico, India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea and Brazil, as well as Ukraine. Tariffs Trump, who traveled to Canada with his top trade negotiators, is expected to discuss trade and tariffs with the leaders of Japan, India and Australia, among others, on the sidelines of the summit. Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday they had finalised a trade deal reached between the two allies last month, making Britain the first country to agree to a deal for lower US tariffs. Sources familiar with the planning said they are not expecting the completion of new trade deals during the G7 summit, however. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he hoped there would be steps towards a solution to a tariff dispute with the United States, even if a solution itself could not be reached at the summit. Carney said in a statement he had agreed with Trump that their two nations should try to wrap up a new economic and security deal within 30 days. Trump said a new economic deal with host Canada was possible but stressed tariffs had to play a role, a position the Canadian government strongly opposes. 'Our position is that we should have no tariffs on Canadian exports to the United States,' said Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador to Washington. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Trump presses Iran to talk but holds back on joint G-7 call
US President Donald Trump, seeking to shatter a decades-old US-led global economic order, has vowed sweeping tariffs on many parties. PHOTO: REUTERS KANANASKIS - US President Donald Trump on June 16 warned Iran to make a deal as Israel pounds the country, but he held back on working with fellow Group of Seven (G-7) leaders to issue a joint call to encourage de-escalation. Host Canada had designed the summit in the Rockies resort of Kananaskis to paper over differences within the bloc of major industrial democracies, as Mr Trump returns to the global stage in his norm-shattering second term. But two days before the summit, Israel launched a surprise, massive military attack on Iran, which had been in negotiations with the Trump administration over the cleric-run state's contested nuclear program. Mr Trump, who has praised Israel's strikes despite his stated preference for diplomacy, said Iran would be 'foolish' not to agree to a negotiated settlement. 'It's painful for both parties, but I'd say Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk, and they should talk immediately, before it's too late,' Mr Trump told reporters as he met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Israel has struck major nuclear and military sites and killed leading commanders and nuclear scientists in Iran, which has responded with its own volley of drones and missiles on Israel. Canada and European leaders have looked to draft a statement on the crisis, but diplomats said that Mr Trump has not committed the United States to joining it. 'It'll be up to the American side to decide whether we're going to have a G-7 statement on the Middle East or not,' German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said. Pressure on Iran Any statement would be expected to put the onus on Iran and stop short of calling for an immediate ceasefire. 'We'll highlight the legitimate right of the state of Israel to defend itself and we will also discuss potential additional measures to reach a diplomatic solution,' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that G-7 leaders share concern about Iran's nuclear program but also: 'I do think there's a consensus for de-escalation.' Unusually, Japan – which has historic relations with Iran and limited domestic pressure related to the Middle East – has broken with its Western allies to condemn Israel's attack, calling it 'completely unacceptable and deeply regrettable'. Iran, since Mr Trump pulled out of an earlier nuclear deal in 2018, has ramped up uranium enrichment but not yet at levels to create an atomic bomb. Israel is widely known to have nuclear weapons but does not acknowledge them publicly. Easing tensions with Trump The summit at a wooded lodge under snow-topped mountains comes after months of tumult on the global stage since Mr Trump's return to office in January after the US presidential election in 2024 . Mr Trump, seeking to shatter a decades-old US-led global economic order, has vowed sweeping tariffs on friends and foes alike, although he has postponed implementation until July 9. But Mr Trump voiced optimism about a resolution with Canada and signed documents with Starmer to confirm an agreement with Britain, which he mistakenly called the European Union at one point. Mr Trump opened a folder to display signed documents with Mr Starmer, only for the paperwork to slide out across the ground. 'Oops, sorry about that,' Mr Trump said, as Mr Starmer scrabbled to pick up the loose sheets. Mr Trump has previously mocked host Canada, stating that the vast but less populated neighbour should become the 51st US state. But Mr Trump has appeared to show more respect to Canada since Mr Carney, a staid former central banker, took over from the more flamboyant Justin Trudeau in March. Mr Trump was 'very respectful' and spoke of 'how much he likes Canada,' said the country's ambassador to Washington, Ms Kirsten Hillman. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to join the G-7 talks on June 1 7 and to speak to Mr Trump, who had initially tried to force him into a deal with Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022. Mr Trump has since voiced frustration that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not accepted a US proposal for a ceasefire. The US president has previously mused about readmitting Russia to the G-8, from which it was expelled in 2014 after invading and annexing Ukraine's region of Crimea, triggering a war which accelerated in 2022 with a full-scale Russian invasion. Mr Trump said June 16 that Mr Putin was 'very insulted' by the G-8 expulsion and that if Russia were still a member, 'you wouldn't have a war right now'. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
