Tensions Run High at G7 Summit as World Leaders Confront Iran-Israel Crisis and Trade Fears

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Tensions Run High at G7 Summit as World Leaders Confront Iran-Israel Crisis and Trade Fears

 

Leaders from the world's most powerful economies gathered in the Canadian Rockies on Sunday for the Group of Seven summit, convened under the shadow of an escalating crisis between Israel and Iran, and the mounting unpredictability of U.S. trade policies under President Donald Trump.

 

Set against the backdrop of the stunning Kananaskis landscape in Alberta, the summit was already expected to be contentious. But events in the Middle East, including Israeli airstrikes and Iran’s retaliatory attacks, have intensified the stakes. Many leaders appeared blindsided by the severity of the conflict, which added a new level of urgency to already fraught diplomatic talks.

 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that he had spoken with both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the escalating situation. “I expect intense discussions will continue at the summit,” Starmer said, acknowledging the growing complexity of international diplomacy in a more volatile world.

 

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, this year’s summit host, made the rare decision to forgo issuing the traditional joint communique, a move that signals just how fractured the consensus among world leaders has become. With most attendees looking to dissuade Trump from imposing additional tariffs, the summit risks devolving into a series of fragmented bilateral talks rather than a unified front.

 

Trump’s presence has been anything but conventional. He arrived wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat and was welcomed by four Mounties, setting a defiant tone from the start. In recent weeks, the president made inflammatory comments suggesting Canada could be absorbed as the 51st U.S. state and has reiterated his previous interest in acquiring Greenland. These remarks sparked international outrage and further strained relations with allies.

 

French President Emmanuel Macron, in a pointed rebuke, made a symbolic stop in Greenland en route to Canada. “Everybody in France, the European Union thinks that Greenland is not to be sold, not to be taken,” he said during a press conference. His statement was met with applause from the local audience. “The situation in Greenland is clearly a wakeup call for all Europeans. Let me tell you very directly that you’re not alone,” Macron added, underscoring Europe’s collective resistance to what many view as American overreach.

 

Leaders outside the G7, including heads of state from India, Ukraine, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, Australia, Mexico, and the UAE, were also invited by Carney in hopes of broadening the dialogue and reinforcing multilateral cooperation. Nonetheless, trade remains a central issue. As he departed the White House, Trump was asked whether he would announce any trade deals at the summit. “We have our trade deals. All we have to do is send a letter: ‘This is what you’re going to have to pay.’ But I think we’ll have a few, few new trade deals,” he said.

 

Starmer, for his part, has come under scrutiny for what many see as a failure to push back strongly against Trump’s rhetoric regarding Canada. Particularly in Canada, criticism has mounted over his silence on Trump’s 51st state remarks. Asked whether he had confronted Trump about the issue, Starmer told the Associated Press, “I’m not going to get into the precise conversations I’ve had, but let me be absolutely clear: Canada is an independent, sovereign country and a much-valued member of the Commonwealth.”

 

The war in Ukraine remains another priority on the agenda. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to attend and meet with Trump, marking their first interaction since a bruising Oval Office meeting months ago that highlighted the diplomatic risks of dealing with the American president.

 

As leaders attempt to navigate a world increasingly shaped by unpredictable conflicts and political disruption, the G7 summit appears less a forum of consensus than a mirror reflecting the global fractures that define the current moment.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from AP  2025-06-17

 

 

[Tug]

God I wish we had a different president representing us,he’s personally responsible for a lot of the problems we are facing right now.just were is Angela now?we need a nanny!