World leaders gather in the Canadian Rockies for a tense G7 summit overshadowed by deepening rifts with U.S. President Donald Trump over global conflicts, trade tariffs, and America's shifting role in multilateral diplomacy.
Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations convene in the Canadian Rockies on Sunday as geopolitical rifts with the United States dominate the agenda. With U.S. President Donald Trump attending his first international summit since returning to office, host country Canada is working behind the scenes to prevent diplomatic blow-ups.
Set against the serene backdrop of Kananaskis, roughly 90 kilometres west of Calgary, the summit is being overshadowed by contentious issues such as trade tariffs, Middle East violence, and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has listed peace, security, critical mineral supply chains, and job creation as his key priorities—but behind closed doors, U.S. actions are expected to dominate discussions.
Tensions surged further after Israel, a key U.S. ally, launched widespread airstrikes across Iran on Thursday, complicating Trump’s diplomatic efforts to prevent regional escalation.
This year’s gathering follows the turbulent 2018 G7 summit, also hosted by Canada, when Trump stormed out early and condemned then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as "dishonest and weak." Since then, expectations have lowered.
“This will be a successful meeting if Donald Trump doesn’t have an eruption that disrupts the entire gathering. Anything above and beyond that is gravy,” said Roland Paris, a University of Ottawa professor and former adviser to Trudeau.
President Trump’s arrival comes as Canada threatens retaliatory measures unless the United States lifts tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium. Trump has previously joked about annexing Canada, remarks that have not gone unnoticed by Canadian officials.
In a bid to limit fallout, Canada has abandoned the traditional joint communique. Instead, the summit will conclude with chair summaries, according to diplomats close to the planning process. A senior Canadian official said the focus would be on achievable collective actions, avoiding language that could provoke U.S. disengagement.
Senator Peter Boehm, who coordinated Trudeau’s G7 efforts in 2018, said this year’s summit has been extended to allow more bilateral meetings with President Trump. World leaders from Mexico, Ukraine, India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea, and Brazil will also attend portions of the event, hoping to raise national concerns with the U.S. president.
“Many will want to talk to President Trump about their own particular interests and concerns,” Boehm noted.
Ukraine’s Cautious Diplomacy
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to attend, but with limited expectations. His last meeting with Trump in Washington earlier this year ended in acrimony. A Ukrainian official told AnewZ that Kyiv no longer hopes for a strong G7 statement but would count a cordial encounter as a diplomatic win.
Trump has promised to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, but his proposals remain vague, and allied leaders are sceptical. A European diplomat said both the G7 and the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague are critical moments to press Trump on maintaining pressure on Russia through sanctions.
Beyond the immediate flashpoints, analysts say the summit will provide key indicators of Trump’s commitment to multilateral diplomacy.
“The big overarching question here is: is the United States still committed to formats like the G7?” said Max Bergmann of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
Topics for official working sessions include trade, artificial intelligence, global economic stability, migration, energy security, drug smuggling, and climate-related disasters like wildfires. A senior U.S. official said Trump is particularly focused on rebalancing trade relationships.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who has maintained a frank but stable rapport with Trump, said on Friday that a planned peace conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, co-hosted with Saudi Arabia, has been postponed.
As world leaders prepare for three days of careful diplomacy, all eyes are on whether Trump's participation will end in cooperation or confrontation.
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Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s first official visit to Japan marks a notable moment in relations between the two countries, reflecting a shared interest in deepening cooperation.
Ukraine has welcomed the European Union’s decision to provide €90 billion in support over the next two years, calling it a vital lifeline even as the bloc failed to reach agreement on using frozen Russian assets to finance the aid.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that attempts to reach a peace agreement in Ukraine are being undermined by Russia’s continued refusal to engage meaningfully in negotiations.
Petroleum products are being transported by rail from Azerbaijan to Armenia for the first time in decades. The move is hailed as a tangible breakthrough in efforts to normalise relations between the long-time rivals.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held a phone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil at the latter’s request.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a wide-ranging address from the White House in which he sought to highlight what he described as his administration’s achievements while laying the groundwork for his plans for the year ahead and beyond, on Wednesday (18 December).
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Ukraine has carried out its first aerial drone strike on a Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea, reflecting a growing intensity in Kyiv’s attacks on Russian oil shipping, officials said on Friday (19 December).
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