Six leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) discussed Russia’s war in Ukraine and the Israel-Iran conflict at their latest summit, but failed to reach significant agreements on these or other key issues, as the summit ended without a collective statement on Ukraine.
The recent G7 summit concluded with six leaders—representing Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan—failing to achieve substantial agreements on the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The summit, intended to demonstrate the G7’s continued influence on global policy, was marked by the early departure of US President Donald Trump.
In the final sessions held on Tuesday, the leaders were joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Zelenskyy said, “We need support from allies and I’m here,” and expressed readiness for peace negotiations and an unconditional ceasefire, emphasizing that pressure is needed.
The G7 leaders agreed to cooperate against non-market policies that could threaten global access to critical minerals and pledged to address the potential risks of artificial intelligence to jobs and the environment, while supporting continued technological advancement.
Despite agreeing on various issues, the summit concluded without a collective statement on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy’s planned meeting with Trump was canceled after the US president left the summit a day early, citing escalations in the Middle East. A senior Canadian official indicated that the US opposed a joint statement on Ukraine as it sought to promote negotiations with Russia.
During Trump’s absence, the remaining six leaders held an extensive session on Ukraine and met individually with Zelenskyy to reaffirm their support for Kyiv and commitment to ensuring Ukraine can defend itself against Russia.
The summit was overshadowed by heightened tensions between Israel and Iran over Iran’s nuclear program, including Israeli airstrikes and Iranian retaliatory missile and drone attacks. French President Emmanuel Macron cautioned against attempts to bring about regime change in Iran through military means, warning that such actions could lead to chaos in the region. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously called on Iranians to use Israeli strikes as an opportunity to challenge their government.
Before his departure, Trump joined the other G7 leaders in issuing a statement declaring that Iran “can never have a nuclear weapon” and calling for a “de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza.”
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