Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) international locations – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US – will meet on Sunday within the distant city of Kananaskis, Alberta, nestled within the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, for 3 days of intense discussions.
This would be the 51st G7 summit assembly. The primary passed off in 1975 in Rambouillet, France. Again then, it was referred to as the G6 assembly, as Canada didn’t turn out to be a member till the next yr.
Russia joined the discussion board in 1998, making it the G8, however was successfully expelled in 2014, following its annexation of Crimea. Since then, the discussion board has been referred to as the G7.
Tensions at this yr’s gathering, going down June 15-17, are prone to be excessive for a lot of causes.
Intense discussions are anticipated concerning the unfolding crisis in the Middle East after Israel carried out huge strikes on army and nuclear websites in Iran on Friday. This yr’s assembly additionally takes place in opposition to the backdrop of aggressive trade tariffs set – after which paused for all international locations besides China, which has now reached a cope with the US – by US President Donald Trump earlier this yr.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney may additionally nonetheless be reeling from feedback by Trump that Canada ought to turn out to be the 51st US state. In Might, Carney stated that Canada was “not on the market … ever” throughout a gathering with Trump on the White Home.
The G7 represents 44 p.c of world gross home product (GDP) however solely 10 p.c of the world’s inhabitants. Throughout the group, the US is by far the most important economic system. Having campaigned for the presidency on an “America First” message, Trump has continuously expressed displeasure about how a lot it contributes to international affairs.
On the final G7 summit attended by Trump in 2018, his nationwide safety adviser, John Bolton, posted on social media: “Simply one other G7 the place different international locations count on America will at all times be their financial institution. The President made it clear as we speak. No extra.”
So, who’s coming this yr and what’s going to they be speaking about?
Who’s attending the G7 assembly this yr?
Canada is internet hosting this yr’s G7 assembly – it’s the seventh time it has assumed the presidency of the group. Moreover leaders of the G7 international locations and the EU, which can also be represented on the summit, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has invited a number of heads of state from non-G7 international locations as friends.
These embrace Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who confirmed her attendance on Monday after saying in Might that she was undecided, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was invited, however it’s unclear whether or not he’ll attend.
The invitation for Modi has raised eyebrows in Canada. Relations between India and Canada have been strained since former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of assassinating a Sikh separatist leader in Canada in 2023. The World Sikh Organisation mentioned Carney’s invitation was a “betrayal of Sikh Canadians”, and the Sikh Federation of Canada known as it “a grave insult”.
However Carney, who’s making an attempt to diversify Canadian commerce away from the US, defended his resolution, saying it is smart for the G7 to ask India, since it’s the world’s fifth-largest economic system and is on the coronary heart of a variety of buying and selling provide chains.
“As well as, bilaterally, we now have now agreed, importantly, to continued legislation enforcement dialogue, so there’s been some progress on that, that recognises problems with accountability. I prolonged the invitation to Prime Minister Modi in that context,” Carney instructed reporters in Ottawa.
In March, Carney additionally invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to this week’s gathering.
Leaders of Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa and South Korea are additionally anticipated to attend.
Will they talk about US commerce tariffs?
Throughout his present tenure as president, Trump has imposed broad tariffs on each member of the G7, in addition to on most different international locations around the globe, sparking a world commerce battle within the course of. Trump says he desires to reverse giant commerce deficits between the US and different international locations.
Nonetheless, it’s unlikely this subject shall be formally addressed throughout G7 discussions as Carney will primarily be making an attempt to stop a fallout over commerce between the member states, lots of whom are nonetheless scrambling to secure trade deals with the US.
The UK reached the first trade agreement with the US in Might, when it agreed to scale back tariffs on US items from 5.1 p.c to 1.8 p.c and supply better entry for US items. In return, the US dropped larger tariffs, leaving solely its common 10-percent tariff in place.
Each the EU and Japan are hoping to strike their very own agreements earlier than the July 9 finish of Trump’s 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs.
Trump additionally had a rocky relationship with the G7 throughout his first time period as US president and left the 2018 summit – additionally in Canada – in a huff. On the finish of what was considered a profitable gathering, Trump wrote on social media that he had directed his employees to not signal the ultimate communique – the assertion G7 international locations subject in a present of unity on the finish of the summit – and known as then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “very dishonest and weak”.
Despite the fact that the communique isn’t normally formally “signed”, the incident pointed to Trump’s unpredictability, specialists say.
John Kirton of the G7 Analysis Group, based mostly on the College of Toronto, mentioned Trump is much less prone to trigger a scene this yr. He instructed Indian channel NDTV World that Carney is on higher phrases with Trump and famous that the US is because of host the G7 in 2027. “He doesn’t need to kill the G7 golden goose earlier than he can produce the ‘largest, greatest summit ever’ for the entire world stage two years from now,” Kirton mentioned.
So, what shall be on the agenda for this G7 assembly?
The G7 2025 summit web site lists three core actions on the agenda for this yr’s discussions: “Defending our communities around the globe”; “Constructing vitality safety and accelerating the digital transition”; and “Securing the partnerships of the long run”.
However G7 leaders are prone to give attention to the unfolding conflict between Israel and Iran.
If this doesn’t dominate discussions solely, different gadgets on the agenda at this yr’s G7 summit are prone to be international commerce points, the Russia-Ukraine battle and China.
Israel-Iran disaster
Julia Kulik, director of strategic initiatives for the G7 Analysis Group on the College of Toronto’s Trinity Faculty, mentioned conversations on international peace that will have centered on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Israel’s war on Gaza will now possible pivot to Iran.
“There shall be robust questions from different leaders across the desk to Donald Trump about what went flawed with the negotiations and about what he’s going to do to get Israel to de-escalate earlier than issues worsen,” Kulik instructed Al Jazeera.
The G7 “was designed to be a disaster response group with the power to behave and adapt shortly to worldwide challenges … so in some methods it’s good they’re assembly this weekend as they’ll have the power to reply shortly”, she added.
Robert Rogowsky, professor of commerce and financial diplomacy on the Middlebury Institute of Worldwide Research, mentioned there is no such thing as a means G7 members can keep away from the topic of the most recent disaster within the Center East. “That assault, counterattack, and the US declaration that it was not concerned and its warning about staying away from American property as targets is prone to be the very first thing mentioned, because it now creates the potential of an actual, all-out battle within the Center East. The foremost neighbouring events should resolve the right way to align themselves.” Rogowsky mentioned.
International commerce
Whereas Carney is hoping to cowl uncontroversial themes, comparable to constructing friendlier international provide chains for supplies like vital minerals, China may additionally be a spotlight of discussions.
Following a gathering of G7 finance ministers in Canada in Might, the group issued a joint communique saying they’d proceed to observe “nonmarket insurance policies and practices” which contribute to imbalances in international commerce. The assertion didn’t point out China, however “nonmarket insurance policies” typically confer with export subsidies and forex insurance policies that the Trump administration says present a bonus in worldwide commerce. The assertion was seen as a swipe at China’s commerce practices, specifically its lending practices, which many see as including debt for poorer international locations.
Leaders of the G7 are additionally anticipated to debate considerations about rising tensions between China and Taiwan within the East and South China Seas, in addition to China’s increasing army presence there.
Russia-Ukraine battle
A joint assertion of G7 international ministers following an earlier assembly in Quebec in mid-March expressed robust assist for Kyiv. It mentioned finance ministers had “mentioned imposing additional prices on Russia” if Moscow didn’t comply with a ceasefire.
The UK and the EU introduced a brand new spherical of sanctions in opposition to Russia in Might, however Trump, who has been conducting discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, mentioned the US wouldn’t comply with swimsuit.
Sanctions in opposition to Russia and attaining a ceasefire could, due to this fact, even be a spotlight of discussions this week.
International growth
This might be a thorny subject.
International growth, significantly in African international locations, has lengthy been a main focus of G7 discussions. Nonetheless, this yr, the US has made clear that it needs to de-prioritise financial and humanitarian help for different international locations. It has largely shuttered the USA Company for Worldwide Improvement (USAID) and says it plans giant cuts to funding for different well being and growth initiatives abroad, as properly.
What conferences might happen on the sidelines of the G7 summit?
US-EU
Donald Trump is anticipated to carry conferences with European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen and Japan’s prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba. Each leaders are desirous to agree on a commerce cope with Trump as quickly as attainable to keep away from reciprocal tariffs, because of come again into place following a pause in early July.
US-Canada-Mexico
Trump, Carney and Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum may additionally maintain a separate assembly of North American leaders on commerce and border safety. In February, Trump postponed his deliberate 25-percent import tariffs on Canadian and Mexican items on the final minute. Canada’s then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sheinbaum each agreed to extend border safety to stop the trafficking of medicine and migrants into the US, averting a commerce battle. Trump says he has been significantly involved concerning the movement of the drug fentanyl into the US from each Canada and Mexico.
US-South Africa
South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has instructed reporters he may have a second assembly with Trump through the G7 summit, following the 2 leaders’ meeting in Washington, DC, on Might 21, when Trump accused South Africa of “genocide” in opposition to white farmers. Earlier in Might, 59 white “refugees” have been flown from South Africa to the US as a part of a relocation plan for white South Africans devised by the Trump administration.
