President Donald Trump heads to this week's G7 summit in France facing a packed agenda that includes the war in Ukraine, tensions within NATO, trade disputes and questions about whether his administration's diplomatic push in the Middle East can translate into broader cooperation with America's allies.
The June 15-17 gathering in Évian-les-Bains comes just days after the White House touted the signature on Friday of a U.S.-Iran peace agreement, a development Trump is expected to highlight in discussions with fellow leaders. However, the summit is also expected to expose divisions between Washington and its partners on security, defense spending and the future of support for Ukraine.
Even before leaders arrive, protests have become part of the story. In nearby Geneva, demonstrators clashed with police during an anti-G7 march, setting a Tesla vehicle on fire and vandalizing property. The protests reflected broader opposition to globalization, economic inequality and what activists view as the growing influence of billionaires and major corporations in government decision-making.
Ukraine is expected to be one of the summit's most closely watched topics. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend meetings with G7 leaders as Kyiv seeks to maintain Western support in its war against Russia. U.S. officials have said Trump will participate in discussions involving Ukraine, though no bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy had been formally scheduled ahead of the summit
For European leaders, keeping Ukraine high on the agenda remains a priority. Max Bergmann, director of the Europe, Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, recently argued that continued Western unity remains critical to Kyiv's position in the conflict and said engagement between Trump and Ukrainian officials would be closely scrutinized by allies.
NATO issues are also expected to loom over the summit. Trump has repeatedly criticized alliance members for failing to spend enough on defense and has pushed European governments to assume a greater share of the burden for their own security. Several European leaders, meanwhile, remain concerned about the long-term reliability of U.S. commitments to the alliance.
According to Reuters, diplomats from several G7 countries hope discussions surrounding the reported U.S.-Iran agreement could provide an opportunity to ease some of the tensions that have emerged between Washington and its allies over the past year. The proposed agreement, reportedly brokered with significant involvement from Pakistan and backed by regional powers including Saudi Arabia and Turkey, is expected to be a major topic in private conversations among leaders.
Trade is likely to generate another round of difficult conversations. Trump is expected to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the summit as both governments continue negotiations over trade and investment issues. Global supply chains, artificial intelligence, energy security and access to critical minerals are also expected to feature prominently in discussions.
The challenge for Trump is that many leaders arrive at the summit with a mixture of optimism and caution. They welcome signs of progress in the Middle East but remain uncertain about Washington's long-term approach to Ukraine, NATO and global trade. The result is a summit where nearly every major issue, from European security to energy markets, is likely to test the administration's ability to build consensus.
