As global leaders gather in Kananaskis, Alberta, for the 2025 G7 Summit, newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney faces a pivotal moment.
With Canada hosting amid overlapping global crises, Carney is navigating an increasingly volatile landscape while trying to establish his international leadership credentials. Here are five key dynamics shaping this year's summit:
1. Iran Conflict Disrupts Carney's Agenda
Carney had intended to centre the summit on economic resilience, North American trade reform, and decreasing Canadian reliance on the U.S. However, escalating tensions with Iran—now dominating the summit—are testing his ability to lead diplomatically. G7 consensus on Iran will be difficult, especially with diverging positions on sanctions and regional security.
2. Managing Trump’s Volatility
Carney’s interactions with President Donald Trump are under intense scrutiny. Trump’s history of upending summits—including the infamous 2018 G7 walkout in Quebec—looms large. Carney must walk a fine line: showing strength without alienating Trump, who remains a divisive figure in the G7. Their one-on-one meeting on Monday morning will set the tone.
3. Forest Fires, AI, and Critical Minerals Top Canada’s Agenda
Despite distractions, Canada is pushing focused outcomes:
4. No Final Communiqué: Avoiding Charlevoix 2.0
To prevent another summit collapse, such as the one in 2018, Canada has scrapped the traditional final communiqué, instead opting for short joint statements on key topics. Carney has publicly stated his lesson from the past: "Be consistent—what you say in private, say in public."
5. A Tense Guest List and Global Optics
Carney’s invitation list includes controversial attendees:
India’s PM Narendra Modi, amid unresolved fallout over the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada;
Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy, advocating for stronger anti-Russia sanctions;
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, meeting Trump for the first time;
Carney has emphasized broad global inclusion, inviting leaders from South Africa, Brazil, Indonesia, South Korea, and Australia to address emerging global power dynamics.
In Summary:
This G7 is more than a summit—it's a stress test for Carney's leadership and Canada's role on the world stage. With trade, conflict, and climate all colliding, the stakes are high, and the spotlight is firmly on the host.
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The foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand have told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that they are willing to pursue a ceasefire, as tensions flared along parts of the two countries’ shared border.
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).
U.S. intelligence sources indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin still intends to take control of all of Ukraine and reclaim parts of Europe that once belonged to the Soviet Union. These assessments contradict Putin’s repeated claims that he poses no threat to Europe.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a stark warning over the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
The United States says it is working to secure a renewed ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, expressing cautious optimism that an agreement could be reached early next week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday.
Iran has called for greater international support in hosting millions of Afghan refugees, warning that it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage the long-term humanitarian burden without a fair sharing of responsibilities.
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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