During the G7 summit in Canada, President Donald Trump urged Iran to return to the negotiating table “before it’s too late”, while he declined to endorse a draft joint statement aimed at de-escalating tensions.
Speaking to reporters, Trump stated, “They need to make a deal, and it’s painful for both sides, but I see Iran is not winning this war. They need to negotiate, and they must do so immediately before it’s too late.”
A draft statement prepared by leaders in Canada called for a reduction in hostilities in the Israeli-Iranian conflict, according to sources from Reuters.
It was reported that Trump chose not to sign the draft, which included a commitment to ensure market stability, including energy markets, and affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer remarked that there seemed to be a consensus among leaders at the summit regarding the need to lower tensions in the Israeli-Iranian conflict.
Starmer commented to journalists, “It is clear that today we need to achieve this and clarify how to get there.”
He added that Europeans would propose a statement emphasizing that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons, and affirming Israel’s right to self-defense.
The G7 leaders commenced their annual discussions yesterday against a backdrop of ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, which complicates the global economic outlook. Canada, the host of the summit, is attempting to avoid any friction with President Trump.
The leaders of the G7 nations—Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States, along with the European Union—are meeting at the Canmore resort in the Canadian Rockies from Sunday to Tuesday.
A Search for Unity
Amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, which has contributed to rising global oil prices, this summit in Canada represents a critical moment for Western powers to project unity.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated, prior to attending his first G7 summit, “The most important goal will be for the world’s major industrial nations to reach a consensus and take necessary actions.”
Achieving this unity will not be straightforward; after years of collaboration, traditional allies have struggled to maintain communication with Trump while keeping their positions aligned.
Canada opted against pursuing a comprehensive statement to prevent a repeat of the 2018 summit in Quebec, where Trump instructed the U.S. delegation to withdraw its approval of the closing communiqué after leaving.
Instead, Ottawa sought consensus on a leaders’ communiqué summarizing key discussions and six previously negotiated declarations on issues such as migration, artificial intelligence, and wildfires.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated to reporters in Greenland on Sunday before traveling to Canada, “We are united. No one wants to see Iran acquire nuclear weapons, and we all want to resume discussions and negotiations.”
He further noted that Israel’s reliance on American arms and munitions gives Washington leverage to push for the resumption of talks.
On Saturday, Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested that the Russian leader could mediate with Iran, highlighting concerns among some of Washington’s allies, as Macron rejected the notion, asserting that Moscow could not serve as a mediator given its war in Ukraine.
An European diplomat remarked that Trump’s proposition demonstrated that Russia, although ousted from the Group in 2014 following its annexation of Crimea, remains significantly on the minds of American leaders.