What's Not Being Discussed At G7 As Trump Shapes Agenda
The G7 gathering has been carefully planned to ensure US President Donald Trump agreed to attend at all and Canada is keen to avoid a public dust-up.
Official agenda items are the global economic outlook and energy security, with organizers naming priorities as critical mineral supply chains and AI adoption, as well as "international peace and security."
Last year's Group of Seven summit in Italy, when Joe Biden was US president, ended with a joint declaration promising better ties with Africa, action on poverty, and determination to tackle "the triple crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss."
Such subjects are almost totally absent at the G7 talks this year in order to placate Trump, said John Kirton of the G7 Research Group at the University of Toronto.
"There's no point in putting them on the agenda if the Americans will just refuse to discuss them. And if you put too many of them on, Trump wouldn't even come," he said.
Kirton added that the schedule was also crowded out by crises from Ukraine to the Middle East, with G7 nations increasingly concerned with defense spending rather than development aid.
For the G7 -- founded 50 years ago by the world's leading economies at the time -- such a lurch in priorities poses major questions about the club's purpose and future.
But, for the Trump administration, the group is just returning to its original function of promoting global economic stability and growth.
"Canada knows its audience and if it wants a unified outcome of this year's G7 leaders summit then it should stick close to traditional G7 values while avoiding controversial topics," said Caitlin Welsh of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The impact on the ground has alarmed many campaigners who say the G7 reduction of foreign aid is hitting millions of world's poorest, threatening food supplies, water, education and health.
"The G7's retreat from the world is unprecedented and couldn't come at a worse time," said Oxfam International Executive Director Amitabh Behar.
"Rather than breaking from the Trump administration's cruel dismantling of USAID and other US foreign assistance, G7 countries like the UK, Germany and France are instead following the same path."
Oxfam calculated that G7 nations, which provide three-quarters of all official development assistance, are cutting aid by 28 percent between 2024 and 2026.
No joint communique is expected at the end of the summit on Tuesday to avoid the potential failure for all members to agree on the text.
But there is one way that the non-US members of the G7 are fighting back -- discreetly.
An unexpected item on the agenda is to "boost collaboration to prevent, fight and recover from wildfires."
The wildfire issue "allows us to talk about climate change without saying it directly because we know that unfortunately not everyone likes it," a Canadian official speaking anonymously told AFP.
Both Canada and the United States are increasingly affected by major forest fires -- worsened by climate change -- including blazes that burnt down swathes of Los Angeles earlier this year.
Professor Kirton said the wildfires agenda tactic was "clever rather than sneaky."
"They saw wildfires as a point of entry, and one that would work with Donald Trump."
Kirton highlighted that wildfires are currently causing damage across the US states of North and South Carolina, both Trump heartlands.
"That's getting into his MAGA base," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
an hour ago
- Int'l Business Times
Russia Says Must Be Part Of Ukraine Security Guarantees Talks
Russia said on Wednesday it had to be part of any discussion on security guarantees for Ukraine and downplayed the likelihood of an imminent summit with President Volodymyr Zelensky, tempering hopes for a quick peace deal. NATO military chiefs were meanwhile scheduled to hold a virtual summit on security guarantees for Ukraine, the latest in a flurry of global diplomacy aimed at brokering an end to the nearly three-and-a-half year conflict. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that "seriously discussing security guarantees without the Russian Federation is a utopia, a road to nowhere". Moscow signed the Budapest Memorandum in 1994, which was aimed at ensuring security for Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan in exchange for them giving up numerous nuclear weapons left from the Soviet era. But Russia violated that first by taking Crimea in 2014, and then by starting a full-scale offensive in 2022, which has killed tens of thousands of people and forced millions to flee their homes. On Tuesday, top US officer Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held talks with European military chiefs on the "best options for a potential Ukraine peace deal," a US defence official told AFP. In eastern Ukraine, far from the diplomatic deliberations, Russian forces claimed fresh advances on the ground and Ukrainian officials reported more deaths from Russian attacks. US President Donald Trump brought Zelensky and European leaders to the White House Monday, three days after his landmark encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Russia's long-serving foreign minister downplayed the meeting between Trump and European leaders at the White House, describing it as a "clumsy" attempt to change the US president's position on Ukraine. Trump, long a fierce critic of the billions of dollars in US support to Ukraine, earlier said European nations were "willing to put people on the ground" to secure any settlement. He ruled out sending US troops but suggested the country might provide air support. Russia has long said it will never tolerate the presence of any Western troops in Ukraine. While Trump said Putin had agreed to meet Zelensky and accept some Western security guarantees for Ukraine, Russia has not confirmed this. Lavrov also cast doubt on an imminent meeting between the sworn enemies, saying that any summit between Putin and Zelensky "must be prepared in the most meticulous way" so it does not lead to a "deterioration" of the situation surrounding the conflict. Russia's defence ministry said on Telegram Wednesday that its troops had captured the villages of Sukhetske and Pankivka in the embattled Donetsk region. "Our units are engaged in heavy defensive battles against superior Russian forces," said Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky. Six civilians were killed by Russian attacks across eastern and southern Ukraine Wednesday, local authorities said. One person died in Russia's western Bryansk region as a result of a Ukrainian drone strike, the local governor said. Russia's aerial attacks on the northeastern town of Okhtyrka in the Sumy region wounded at least 14 people, including three children, according to regional governor Oleg Grygorov. Zelensky said these latest strikes showed "the need to put pressure on Moscow", including through sanctions. Russia says it must be part of the discussion on Ukraine's security guarantees AFP
DW
8 hours ago
- DW
US steel tariffs leave Indian foundries gasping – DW – 08/20/2025
Trump's 50% steel tariff has rattled India's small foundries. Facing mass layoffs and shutdowns, they urge urgent government action to survive the shockwaves. In Kolkata, a major hub for India's steel foundries that export sanitary castings, work has slowed or stopped. Owners discuss distress in private but don't share much in public, and workers are confused. But some owners, like Vijay Shankar Beriwal of Calcutta Iron Udyog, are not holding back. He blames the 50% tariff on steel and aluminum imposed by US President Donald Trump, which went into effect in June. Trump cited national security concerns under Section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act of 1962 for the move. In addition to the steel tariffs, Trump has also imposed 25% "reciprocal tariffs" on most Indian goods. The US president has proposed an additional 25% tariff, set to go into effect later this month, in response to India's purchases of Russian oil. "The full impact has yet to hit the market, but the stressors have begun to show. Those with existing US orders are clearing them fast, but new orders are slow or absent. Many foundries have stopped work," he says. The 50% steel and aluminum tariff, part of Trump's protectionist trade policies, threatens to choke eastern India's export-driven foundries and medium and small enterprises (MSMEs), which rely heavily on the US market. India exported $4.56 billion in iron, steel, and aluminium products to the US last year, including $587.5 million in iron and steel, $3.1 billion worth of iron or steel products, and $860 million in aluminium products, based on data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. This accounts for roughly 5.3% of India's $86.51 billion total exports to the US. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Although a smaller portion, they represent a significant share of India's foundry sector, which employs over 200,000 workers in labor-intensive production across more than 5,000 units, of which over 95% are categorized as small-scale. Moreover, unlike in the state of Maharashtra or Tamil Nadu, where foundries cater to domestic automotive and construction markets, eastern India's foundries specialise in export-oriented castings, making them particularly vulnerable to tariff disruptions. Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has downplayed the impact of tariffs on steel and aluminium, arguing that steel and aluminium exports to the US are negligible. "How does it matter if out of 145 million tons, you are not able to export 95,000 tons?" he said at a Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry event. The domestic market is also under pressure. With export orders stalling, manufacturers are flooding the local market, intensifying competition. "Some clients are demanding 5% price cuts, others want credit payment. These are unprecedented moves," says RK Damani, owner of Industrial Casting Corporation in Kolkata. The Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO) estimates an 85% drop in US-bound steel exports, leading to a surplus that could push down domestic steel prices by 6-8%, squeezing MSME margins further. "With the tariffs now, competitive pricing will be a deciding factor. But some countries, like China, have a great appetite for undercutting prices. Indian SMEs may not have the wherewithal to match that," said FIEO Director General Ajay Sahai. While his comment mainly focuses on sectors like textiles, the steel sector faces similar pressures, as China's ability to redirect low-cost steel to India threatens smaller producers. The Indian Stainless Steel Development Association (ISSDA) notes that India has become a net importer of finished steel since FY 2023-24, with imports rising significantly between 2021 and 2024, largely from China. "The problem with steel exports is that all developed countries are closing. Europe [European Union] has been charging duties since 2018, and from January 2026, it will impose the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)," said Ajai Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video India's steel and aluminium exports to the European Union have been under pressure due to the duties, and the CBAM, a carbon tax on high-emission imports, could make it worse by further eroding India's competitiveness. The foundry sector mostly comprises small players with narrow profit margins. The 50% tariff makes US orders cost-prohibitive, and redirecting to markets like the Middle East or Southeast Asia requires time and capital that many of these companies lack. The Indian government is responding to the situation with a multi-pronged strategy. The Ministry of Commerce is pursuing a bilateral trade agreement with the US, aiming to lower the tariffs. Measures like interest subsidies, loan guarantees, and reduced certification fees are being considered to support MSMEs. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies has also proposed a 12% safeguard duty on certain steel products to protect the domestic market from Chinese dumping. Beriwal of Calcutta Iron Udyog remains hopeful about government intervention to protect the foundries. "The industry urgently needs some support from the government to stay afloat. We will be approaching the government with a proposal, but as of now, we are holding on for how things roll with the US President," he said. However, industry insiders warn that without swift action, MSMEs could face layoffs and closures by early 2026.
DW
9 hours ago
- DW
Killings, gang rapes rampant in Congo, rights groups say – DW – 08/20/2025
One woman in the Democratic Republic of Congo said M23 rebels killed her husband with a machete before forcing her and 70 others to march to a riverbank, where fighters opened fire. Rwanda-backed M23 rebels killed at least 140 people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in July, while both the rebels and rival militias committed widespread sexual abuses, according to two reports highlighting worsening human rights conditions in the country. The violence is persisting despite US- and Qatari-brokered peace talks between Congo and the M23 militia. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, based on 25 witness accounts, medical staff, and UN sources, suggested the total deaths in Rutshuru territory in the east may exceed 300, corroborating an earlier UN account. The report included interviews with civilians HRW said had survived the killings. They described massacres across at least 14 villages near Virunga National Park. One woman said rebels killed her husband with a machete before forcing her and 70 others to march to a riverbank, where fighters opened fire. "They told us to sit on the edge of the riverbank, and then they started shooting at us," the woman said, who survived after falling into the water. Another man recounted to HRW seeing his wife and four children killed by M23 rebels. The killings occurred weeks after a June 27 US-brokered preliminary truce between Congo and Rwanda, and negotiations between Kinshasa and M23 in Qatar. M23 has denied involvement and did not respond to requests for comment by Reuters news agency. Amnesty International's report underscored the rampant use of sexual violence by M23 fighters as well as the Wazalendo, a coalition of armed groups fighting M23 and backed by the Congolese army. The human rights organization said it talked to 14 survivors of sexual violence. One of the survivors said she was caught by two M23 men on January 27, the day Goma fell. "They were discussing between themselves. One said, 'let's kill her.' The other said: 'No, she's petty; we are going to sleep with her. Don't kill her,'" she recounted, adding that she has been psychologically troubled since. "When I see a soldier with a weapon, everything comes back to me." According to the report, Doctors Without Borders treated nearly 7,400 victims of sexual violence in and around Goma between January and April, and more than 2,400 in nearby Sake. Amnesty also documented other violations of human rights by M23 in North and South Kivu between February and June 2025. These abuses include abductions of hospital patients and staff, summary executions, and the unlawful detention and torture of journalists, activists, and human rights defenders. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Qatar, meanwhile, insisted on Tuesday that both the Congolese government and the M23 group remain committed to the peace process despite missing an Aug. 18 deadline for a final accord. However, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said on Tuesday in Kinshasa that despite peace efforts, "the situation on the ground has not become any better."
