Six of the G7 leaders were trying on the final day of their summit yesterday to show that the wealthy nations’ club still has the clout to shape world events, despite the early departure of US President Donald Trump.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his counterparts from the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan were to be joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to discuss Russia’s relentless war on its neighbor.
World leaders had gathered in Canada with the specific goal of helping to defuse a series of pressure points, only to be disrupted by a showdown over Iran’s nuclear program that could escalate in dangerous and uncontrollable ways. Israel launched an aerial bombardment campaign against Iran on Friday, and Iran has hit back with missiles and drones.
Photo: AFP
Trump left the summit in the Canadian Rocky Mountain resort of Kananaskis a day early late on Monday, saying: “I have to be back, very important.”
Before leaving, Trump joined the other leaders in issuing a statement saying Iran “can never have a nuclear weapon” and calling for a “de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Getting unanimity — even on a short and broadly worded statement — was a modest measure of success for the group.
Meanwhile, Trump’s stance on Ukraine put him fundamentally at odds with the other G7 leaders, who back Ukraine and are clear that Russia is the aggressor in the war.
Trump on Monday suggested there would have been no war if G7 members had not expelled Russian President Vladmir Putin from the organization in 2014 for annexing Crimea.
Trump demurred when asked if he supported Russia, saying: “I only care about saving lives.”
With talks on ending the war at an impasse, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK and other G7 members were slapping new tariffs on Russia in a bid to get it to the ceasefire negotiating table.
Zelenskiy was due to attend yesterday’s summit at Carney’s invitation, along with other leaders including Rutte and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Trump declined to join in the sanctions on Russia, saying he would wait until Europe did so first.
Trump added that the EU had yet to offer a “fair deal” on trade, as Washington negotiates tariff agreements with friends and foes alike.
“We’re talking, but I don’t feel that they’re offering a fair deal yet,” Trump said of the EU, speaking to reporters on board Air Force One to Washington. “And we’re either going to make a good deal or they’ll just pay whatever we say they will pay.”
Additional reporting by AFP
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