G7 leaders collect in Canada for a summit overshadowed by Israel-Iran disaster

KANANASKIS, Alberta — Leaders of a number of the world’s greatest financial powers arrived within the Canadian Rockies on Sunday for a Group of Seven summit, overshadowed by an escalating battle between Israel and Iran and U.S. President Donald Trump’s unresolved commerce conflict.

Israel’s strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation, which appeared to catch many world leaders unawares, is the newest signal of a extra risky world.

Trump in current days vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a U.S. official informed The Related Press, in a sign of how far Israel was ready to go.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer mentioned he had mentioned efforts to de-escalate the disaster with Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in addition to different world leaders and mentioned he anticipated “intense discussions” would proceed on the summit.

Trump is summit’s wild card

As summit host, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has determined to desert the annual follow of issuing a joint assertion, or communique, on the finish of the assembly.

With different leaders wanting to speak to Trump in an effort to speak him out of imposing tariffs, the summit dangers being a collection of bilateral conversations somewhat than a present of unity.

Trump is the summit wild card. He arrived on the worldwide summit sporting a “Make America Great Again” hat. He was greeted by 4 Mounties. Looming over the assembly are his inflammatory threats to make Canada the 51st state and take over Greenland. French President Emmanuel Macron visited Greenland on Sunday for a extremely symbolic cease on his option to Canada. Macron warned that Greenland is “not to be sold” nor “to be taken.”

“Everybody in France, the European Union thinks that Greenland is not to be sold, not to be taken,” he mentioned throughout a information convention, applauded by the native crowd.

“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.

Trump’s aircraft landed in Alberta late Sunday. He may have a bilateral assembly with Carney on Monday morning earlier than the summit program begins.

‘He tends to be a bully’

Leaders who usually are not a part of the G7 however have been invited to the summit by Carney embody the heads of state of India, Ukraine, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, Australia, Mexico and the UAE. Avoiding tariffs will proceed to be high of thoughts.

Requested if he deliberate to announce any commerce agreements on the G7 as he left the White Home on Sunday, Trump mentioned: “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.”

Bilateral conferences with the American president will be fraught as Trump has used them to attempt to intimidate the leaders of Ukraine and South Africa.

Former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien informed a panel this week that if Trump does act out, leaders ought to ignore him and stay calm like Carney did in his current Oval Workplace assembly.

“He tends to be a bully,” Chrétien mentioned. “If Trump has decided to make a show to be in the news, he will do something crazy. Let him do it and keep talking normally.”

Final month Britain and the U.S. introduced that they had struck a commerce deal that can slash American tariffs on U.Ok. autos, metal and aluminum. It has but to take impact, nevertheless, although British officers say they aren’t involved the Trump administration may return on its phrase.

Starmer’s makes an attempt to woo Trump have left him in a clumsy place with Canada, the U.Ok.’s former colony, shut ally and fellow Commonwealth member. Starmer has additionally drawn criticism — particularly from Canadians — for failing to handle Trump’s acknowledged need to make Canada the 51st state.

Requested if he has informed Trump to cease the 51st state threats, Starmer informed The Related 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.”

Zelenskyy anticipated to satisfy Trump

The conflict in Ukraine might be on the agenda. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is because of attend the summit and is anticipated to satisfy with Trump, a reunion coming simply months after their bruising Oval Workplace encounter which laid naked the dangers of getting a gathering with the U.S. president.

Starmer met with Carney in Ottawa earlier than the summit for talks centered on safety and commerce, within the first go to to Canada by a British prime minister for eight years.

German officers have been eager to counter the suggestion that the summit can be a “six against one” occasion, noting that the G7 nations have loads of variations of emphasis amongst themselves on numerous points.

“The only the problem you cannot forecast is what the president of the United States will do depending on the mood, the need to be in the news,” mentioned Chrétien.