Donald Trump returns to G7 he once loathed as Mideast situation deteriorates
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives in Canada as the centre of attention for a G7 summit whose main purpose will be to mollify him — and one where spiralling conflict in the Middle East offers another test of its unity.
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Trump was set to travel Sunday night to Kananaskis for the first big international summit of his second term. Wary of opening new rifts with the U.S. president, other Group of Seven leaders won't even try for a statement of unity on matters such as Ukraine or climate change.
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It's not even clear that they will be able to demonstrate a sense of common purpose over the conflict between Israel and Iran that began with Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear sites late last week. Those strikes continued over the weekend, fanning fears of a regional war.
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Trump has called for a ceasefire but is helping Israel defend itself, while others such as French President Emmanuel Macron have urged the sides to avoid further escalation.
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Instead of speaking to allies about the fighting, Trump discussed the conflict in a Saturday call with the G7's main adversary, Russian President Vladimir Putin, a central antagonist in a war with Ukraine that's also frustrated Trump.
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Macron, speaking to reporters on Sunday, dismissed the notion of Putin mediating the Middle East conflict, saying the Russian leader, given his flouting of international norms, could not 'be in any way a mediator.'
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More than a dozen leaders from around the world were set to join Trump at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge looking to strike trade deals to stave off a fresh round of US tariffs as early as next month.
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The meeting's remote location means it will be inaccessible to protesters and give leaders freedom to meet Trump on neutral turf instead of under the glare of the cameras in the Oval Office where he's in control and playing to his domestic audience.
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Leaders from Brazil, South Africa, India, and South Korea will be there seeking to protect their own interests, as will Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, looking to shore up support for his nation's fight against Russia despite Trump's ambivalence.
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Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum is likely to get her first one-on-one in-person meeting with Trump, while also seeking a fresh U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal along with the event's host, Prime Minister Mark Carney. The Canadian leader, meanwhile, will seek to balance standing up to Trump's calls to make Canada the 51st state while avoiding the flareups that turned past summits into displays of rancor and disunity.
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Vancouver Sun
an hour ago
- Vancouver Sun
Trump vetoed Israeli plan to kill Iran's supreme leader: U.S. official
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By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Asked about the plan during an interview on Fox News Channel's 'Special Report with Bret Baier,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not directly address whether the White House rejected the plan. 'But I can tell you, I think that we do what we need to do, we'll do what we need to do,' Netanyahu said. 'And I think the United States knows what is good for the United States.' Netanyahu spokesperson Omer Dostri later called reports about the Israeli plan to kill Khamenei 'fake.' Netanyahu in the Fox interview also said regime change 'could certainly be the result' of the conflict 'because the Iranian regime is very weak.' Trump's rejection of the proposal was first reported by Reuters. Meanwhile, Trump on Sunday issued a stark warning to Iran not to retaliate against U.S. targets in the Middle East. Trump in an early morning social media posting said the United States 'had nothing to do with the attack on Iran' as Israel and Iran traded missile attacks for the third straight day. Iran, however, has said it would hold the U.S. — which has provided Israel with much of its deep arsenal of weaponry — responsible for its backing of Israel. 'If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before,' Trump said. Hours later Trump took to social media again to predict 'Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal' and that it could come 'soon.' 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Following India's strikes in Pakistan, the two sides exchanged heavy fire along their de facto borders, followed by missile and drone strikes into each other's territories, mainly targeting military installations and airbases. It was the most serious confrontation in decades between the countries. Trump on Sunday repeated his claim, disputed by India, that the two sides agreed to a ceasefire after he had offered to help both nations with trade if they agreed to de-escalate. Trump also pointed to efforts by his administration during his first term to mediate disputes between Serbia and Kosovo and Egypt and Ethiopia. 'Likewise, we will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran!' Trump said . 'Many calls and meetings now taking place. I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that's OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!' There's a divide in Trump world about how far the president should go in backing Israel. Rep. 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Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
CF-18 jets intercept plane violating restricted air space above G7 site in Alberta
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CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Fighter jets deployed after civilian aircraft entered G7 no-fly zone above Kananaskis
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) deployed fighter jets to intercept a civilian aircraft on Sunday after it entered a no-fly zone in place for the G7 summit. The fixed-wing aircraft travelled into restricted air space above the Kananaskis area, according to a news release from the G7 Integrated Safety and Security Group. CF-18 Hornet fighter jets were sent to intercept the aircraft. NORAD's Canadian region took "multiple steps" to get the pilot's attention before resorting to "final warning measures" to contact the pilot. Eventually, the pilot landed the civilian aircraft safely under their own power. "It is every pilot's responsibility to ensure that there are no restrictions in the air space they intend to fly," the release said. "These incidents take away resources that could be utilized in police work and securing the summit site." Temporary air space restrictions over both Calgary and Kananaskis have been in place since Saturday morning. One no-fly zone is centred on Kananaskis village and has a radius of 30 nautical miles. Another is centred on the Calgary International Airport and has a radius of 20 nautical miles. Restrictions in both locations will be enforced until midnight Tuesday. Authorities carve out no-fly zones ahead of G7 summit in Kananaskis 16 days ago Duration 1:20 RCMP say if recreational aircraft fly into restricted airspace, they should expect serious consequences. The CBC's Terri Trembath tells us how authorities plan to protect the skies over the provincial park and in Calgary. NORAD is a U.S.-Canada bi-national organization responsible for aerospace warning and control. The organization is using aircraft and personnel from both the Canadian and U.S. militaries to protect world leaders and other people attending the G7. The incident is still under investigation, according to the Integrated Safety and Security Group.
