Leaders of the Group Seven (G7) nations met at a lakeside resort in France on Monday, shortly after the United States and Iran said they had reached a preliminary deal to end the ongoing war in West Asia.
The G7 summit will host the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States with Brazil, India, Kenya, and South Korea also being invited to join the discussion. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Egypt will also be attending the summit.
The three-day event starting on Monday will involve conversations related to Iran, the war in Ukraine, tackling global economic imbalances, and sourcing critical minerals outside of China, which is currently the dominant supplier.
Trump’s highly anticipated appearance
U.S President Donald Trump is also set to arrive in Evian-les-Bains on Monday. The Republican leader has been at odds with many of his allies due to disagreements in handling the West Asian conflict. Many G7 nations have been directly impacted by Trump’s actions during the course of the war which has been ongoing for over 100 days. However, French officials expressed satisfaction in securing his presence after he left last year’s summit in Canada early.
Trump is also scheduled to meet with West Asian leaders and will also attend a working session with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday. Ukraine is currently seeking more military funding from its allies.
President Emmanuel Macron is expected to welcome Trump as he arrives in France on Monday. Macron also managed to guarantee Trump’s attendance to a dinner at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday.
The French leader’s goal as the host for this year’s summit would be to push for action on global macroeconomic imbalances. France framed the issue as a shared responsibility in which China overproduces, the United States overconsumes, and Europe underinvests. Macron has also urged China to boost its own consumption.
