Trump refuses to sign G7 statement amid split over Iran

Telegraph

7 hours ago

Donald Trump torpedoed a joint G7 statement on the Israel-Iran conflict, according to senior US officials, as world leaders met in Canada on Monday.
The agenda for the long-planned summit has been hastily updated to reflect cross-border barrages fired by Iran and Israel and concerns about a wider war.
But signs of splits between Mr Trump and other leaders emerged rapidly on Monday morning.
The Telegraph learnt that a draft document was circulated that called for both sides to protect civilians and for tight monitoring of Iran's nuclear facilities.
That was unacceptable to Mr Trump, who is demanding that Iran is not allowed any uranium enrichment activity and who has been one of the most outspoken of Israel's supporters.
'I can confirm that he did not sign on to the statement,' said a senior US official.
Organisers have gone out of their way to set an agenda and schedule that would reduce the chances of Mr Trump, a famously unpredictable leader, from going rogue.
Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, who is hosting the event, is expected to issue a chairman's statement rather than the usual joint communiqué in order to reduce the threat of splits.
Yet Mr Trump appeared to have upset even those limited plans before the first session had even started.
As well as refusing to sign on to the Israel-Iran statement, Mr Trump said it had been a mistake to expel Russia in 2014 when Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea.
'I would say that that was a mistake, because I think you wouldn't have a war right now if you had Russia in,' he said, claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin was 'very insulted'.
His words will have alarmed European leaders in particular who hope he will sign off on a new, tougher package of sanctions on Russia during the summit.
Mr Trump also floated the idea that China should be invited to join the G7, saying it was 'not a bad idea'.
But the Prime Minister's official spokesman said that Sir Keir was 'happy with the make-up' of the current G7.
Downing Street played down talk of splits over the Israel-Iran statement on the opening day of the summit, noting there is still time to find wording acceptable to all the leaders.
Sir Keir Starmer said the G7 leaders shared a 'consensus for de-escalation'.
The UK has also moved to indicate its disapproval at calls for regime change in Iran – something for which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is publicly calling.
Asked if Sir Keir supported regime change in Iran, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'Significant de-stabilisation of the region is in nobody's interest'.
For its part, the White House made clear that the president's objective was to prevent Iran getting nuclear weapons.
'Under the strong leadership of President Trump, the United States is back to leading the effort to restore peace around the world,' said a White House official.
'President Trump will continue to work towards ensuring Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.'
Israel launched strikes against Iran on Friday, saying Tehran was on the brink of building a nuclear bomb.
Since then, Iran and Israel have traded huge salvos, killing and wounding civilians and raising the spectre of a broader regional war.
Mr Trump arrived in Canada on Sunday evening ahead of two days of talks.
He has repeatedly said that Iran should return to the negotiating table in order to forge a deal that would see it give up its nuclear ambitions.
Ahead of a meeting with Mr Carney, he confirmed reports that Iran was using backchannels to ask for talks, saying he had given Iran two months to reach a deal.
'They had 60 days, and on the 61st day, I said, we don't have a deal. They have to make a deal, he said.
'And it's painful for both parties, but I'd say Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk.'