Trump Leads G7 Talks as Leaders Confront Global Tensions

As President Trump returns to G7, leaders brace for challenging discussions on trade and global conflicts. Having previously disrupted such summits, Trump's unpredictable approach casts a shadow over the gathering.
President Trump has historically found international summits tedious, often using them as platforms to confront fellow world leaders. One of his earliest encounters, the 2017 G-20 in Hamburg, was highlighted by significant protests, complete with posters depicting Trump as a clown. At his inaugural G7, held in Italy, a lasting image emerged of six leaders walking together as Trump opted for a separate path in a golf cart.
A year later at the G7 summit in Canada , Trump left a lasting impression. A now-iconic photograph captured him sitting defiantly with arms crossed, gazing up at then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel, while other leaders stood around their German counterpart.
The proceedings were further disrupted when Trump withdrew from the joint communique after the meeting, following his angry tweets targeting then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over criticisms of U.S. tariff policies.
Caitlin Welsh, a former U.S. summit official during Trump's first term and current program director with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted that Trump's actions "cast a long shadow" over current summits. She remarked, "It showed that consensus outcomes could not be taken for granted in the G7 or G-20 or other bodies," adding to the ongoing unpredictability associated with such meetings.
By 2019, Trump's unpredictability persisted. A candid moment captured on a hot mic revealed leaders, including Trudeau, discussing Trump's tendency to run late. During President Joe Biden's inaugural G7 summit in 2021, he announced "America is back," to which French President Emmanuel Macron skeptically responded, "For how long?"
Now returning to the gathering, Trump faces a different landscape. Despite previous tariff disputes and a contentious threat regarding Canada, current leaders strive for amicable interactions with him. Notably, figures like UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Carney have experienced relatively smooth meetings with Trump since his re-election.
Evidence suggests the leadership bloc wishes to continue this conciliatory approach. Macron, the only leader from Trump's initial tenure still in place, aims to maintain congenial relations, evident by his visit to Greenland en route to Canada—a gesture acknowledging Trump's controversial annexation remarks.
Given the profound differences on issues ranging from climate change to AI and women's empowerment, leaders have opted not to prepare a joint communique this year. Instead, they will issue statements on half a dozen topics, noticeably excluding Ukraine.
According to a briefing by a White House official, the U.S. intends to focus on trade, boosting American energy exports, and developing AI, without explicit mentions of Iran. A German official also indicated a discussion on reducing dependence on China for critical minerals could be on the agenda.
Trump's imposition of "reciprocal" tariffs, set at 10% for approximately sixty countries, including the EU, looms over the summit. With a deadline of July 9 to finalize agreements or face increased tariffs, this remains a pressing concern for the attending leaders.
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