Seeking unity, G7 meets amid rising Ukraine, Middle East conflicts
Leaders of the Group of Seven nations started their annual talks on Monday amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, which are contributing to global economic uncertainty. Meanwhile, host Canada aims to steer clear of any confrontation with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The G7 leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the U.S., along with the European Union, are convening in the resort of Kananaskis in the Canadian Rockies until Tuesday, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
But beyond the serene and picturesque mountain setting, they confront challenges. 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 U.S. allies.
With an escalating Israel-Iran conflict, which is spiking global oil prices, the summit in Canada is seen as a vital moment to try and restore a semblance of unity between democratic powerhouses.
“The most important goal will be for the world’s seven largest industrial nations to reach agreement and take action,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said before attending his first G7.
That will not be easy. After years of consensus, the traditional allies have scrambled to keep Trump engaged and maintain unity.
Canada has abandoned any effort to adopt an all-encompassing comprehensive communique to avert a repeat of a 2018 summit in Quebec, when Trump instructed the U.S. delegation to withdraw its approval of the final communique after leaving.
Instead, Ottawa has sought to get consensus for a chair’s statement that summarizes the key discussions and six other pre-negotiated declarations on issues such as migration, artificial intelligence and forest fires.
Talks on Monday will centre around the economy, advancing trade deals, and China.
Efforts to reach an agreement to lower the G7 price cap on Russian oil even if Trump decided to opt out have been complicated by the surge in oil prices since Israel launched strikes on Iran on June 12, two diplomatic sources said.
The escalation between the two regional foes is on the agenda, with diplomatic sources saying they hope to achieve at least a joint statement to urge restraint and a return to diplomacy.
“We are united. Nobody wants to see Iran get a nuclear weapon and everyone wants discussions and negotiations to restart,” France’s President Emmanuel Macron told reporters in Greenland on Sunday before travelling to Canada.
He added that given Israel’s dependence on U.S. weapons and munitions, Washington had the capacity to restart negotiations.
Trump said on Sunday many calls and meetings were taking place to broker peace.
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