Trump Cuts G7 Visit Short Amid Middle East Crisis, Warns Tehran Civilians
U.S. President Leaves Summit After Urging Iran Evacuation
U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly departed the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada on Monday night, citing urgent developments in the Middle East conflict between Iran and Israel.
“Much was accomplished, but because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a post on X.
Trump had earlier made headlines by calling for the evacuation of Tehran, warning Iranian civilians via Truth Social to leave the capital immediately and slamming Tehran for refusing to sign a U.S.-backed nuclear disarmament agreement.
Macron Claims U.S. Offered Ceasefire Talks — Trump Denies
French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters that Trump had made a direct offer to help facilitate a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.
“There is indeed an offer to meet and exchange. An offer was made especially to get a ceasefire and to then kick-start broader discussions,” Macron said.
However, Trump quickly disputed Macron’s assertion, stating that his return to Washington had “nothing to do with a ceasefire” and was tied to “something much bigger.”
Despite the conflicting narratives, Trump did sign the G7’s joint statement, which called for calm and urged a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
“We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza,” the statement read.
G7 Stands with Israel, Labels Iran a Destabilising Force
The G7 — comprising Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, and the European Union reiterated its support for Israel’s right to self-defense and labelled Iran a source of instability in the region.
While unity on the Middle East crisis was clear, internal divisions emerged over Trump’s foreign policy direction.
Trump Backs Putin, Questions Russia’s G8 Removal
During a press briefing with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump voiced strong support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, reigniting tensions within the bloc.
“This was a big mistake,” Trump said, referencing Russia’s 2014 expulsion from the G8. “Putin speaks to me. He doesn’t speak to anybody else… he’s not a happy person about it.”
His remarks drew concern, particularly ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s scheduled G7 address on Tuesday.
“It was a rough start,” noted Josh Lipsky, a former senior IMF official now with the Atlantic Council.
Nonetheless, Ukraine’s embassy confirmed Zelenskiy will attend the summit despite the diplomatic unease.
U.S.–UK Trade Deal Finalized, But Canadian Tensions Remain
In more positive news, Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the completion of a trade agreement that was first reached last month. The deal makes Britain the first country to secure reduced U.S. tariffs under Trump’s current presidency.
Prime Minister Carney also confirmed that a broader U.S.–UK economic and security pact is expected within 30 days.
However, negotiations between the United States and Canada remain deadlocked, with Trump demanding tariffs a condition Ottawa firmly rejects.
“Our position is that we should have no tariffs on Canadian exports to the United States,” said Canada’s ambassador to Washington, Kirsten Hillman.
Summit Ends in Discord, Draft Agreements Stall
This year’s G7 summit, hosted in Kananaskis in the Canadian Rockies, was scheduled to conclude on Tuesday. But Canada has now dropped efforts to adopt a full communique, mirroring the contentious 2018 summit when Trump withdrew U.S. backing after his departure.
Several draft documents covering migration, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals reportedly remain unsigned by the United States, underscoring deep divisions within the group.
Also in attendance were non-G7 nations including Mexico, India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea, Brazil, and Ukraine.
