57th G7 Summit- Wikipedia commons.
What is the G7? 🤝
The Group of Seven (G7) is a forum of seven wealthy, democratic nations: Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, along with the European Union. It started in 1975 as the G6 to coordinate responses to global economic shocks like inflation and oil shortages. Canada joined in 1976 to form the G7(1).
Russia was briefly part of the group (making it the G8), but was expelled in 2014 after invading Crimea (2).
How Does It Work?
The G7 is informal — there’s no permanent office, headquarters, or constitution. One country hosts the summit each year and sets the agenda. Leadership rotates annually among the member countries in a fixed order (3).
The summit itself is usually a 3-day event where world leaders meet in private for discussions, photo ops, and joint statements (although this year’s format is changing — more on that later).
What’s the Point?
The G7’s original mission was to tackle economic problems like recessions, trade disputes, and monetary instability. But over the years, the focus has widened to include:
- Climate change
- Global health (like pandemics
- Security and terrorism
- Support for democracy
- Development in the Global South 4
Some of its biggest achievements include helping cancel poor-country debt, funding vaccines for global use, and taking collective stances on climate goals.
Where Is It in 2025? 🏔
This year’s G7 Summit is being held June 15–17, 2025, in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada — a scenic, remote mountain resort chosen for its beauty and security (5).
Who’s Chairing It?
Our (Canada’s) new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, is hosting and chairing the 2025 summit (6). As a former governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, Carney is known globally for his leadership on climate economics and financial stability.
His agenda for the summit includes:
- Support for Ukraine
- Peace efforts in the Middle East
- Global rules for Artificial Intelligence
- Trade and energy security
- Critical mineral supply chains
Carney is also trying a new strategy to avoid conflict — instead of a final "joint communiqué," he plans to release individual leader statements or a neutral summary (6).
Who’s Attending?
In addition to the core G7 members, guest countries often attend. This year, expected guests include:
- Ukraine (Zelenskyy)
- India, Australia, South Korea, Mexico, UAE
- International bodies like the IMF, World Bank, and UN7
Why It Matters To Canadians
The G7 is a chance for Canada to take the global stage, build partnerships, and promote Canadian values like democracy, peacekeeping, and environmental responsibility. This year, Canadians are especially watching to see:
- Whether Canada can de-escalate tensions between Trump and the other leaders
- How the summit addresses Israel–Iran tensions
- What decisions are made about critical minerals and trade
- Whether metal tariffs on Canadian exports to the U.S. will continue or be lifted(8)
What’s the Deal with Trump?
U.S. President Donald Trump is back at the table and already stirring things up.
- He has a history of clashing with G7 leaders, especially over tariffs, climate change, and NATO spending (9).
- In previous summits, he refused to sign communiqués, insulted allies, and even suggested the U.S. should annex Canada or Greenland (10).
- This year, other G7 leaders are approaching him cautiously, prepared to push back, but also trying to avoid open conflict (11).
Trump remains a wildcard. He’s expected to resist climate pledges, defend U.S. trade protectionism, and block EU-led peace talks in the Middle East 11.
What to Watch For 🧐
- Will leaders agree on Middle East diplomacy or clash over Israel and Iran?
- How far will they go in supporting Ukraine, and will Trump back it?
- Can Canada forge climate and trade agreements without U.S. support?
- Will Trump disrupt or cooperate on AI and tech policy?
- Will there be any meaningful statement from the group?
TL;DR
- The G7 is a yearly summit of the world’s richest democracies.
- It began in 1975 and now covers global issues, not just economics.
- Canada is hosting the 2025 summit in Alberta from June 15–17.
- Prime Minister Mark Carney is chairing.
- Trump’s return has many leaders cautious but determined to stay on track.
- Big topics: Ukraine, Iran, climate, AI, and global economic stability.
Footnotes & References
1. Government of Canada. “Canada and the G7.” Canada.ca
2. BBC News. “Russia excluded from G8 over Ukraine crisis.” March 2014.
3, Wikipedia contributors. “Group of Seven.” Wikipedia
4. Council on Foreign Relations. “What Does the G7 Do?”
5. CBC Archives. “Kananaskis hosts the G8 in 2002.”
6. Politico. “Mark Carney’s First Big Test on the World Stage.” June 2025. 2
7. AP News. “G7 Leaders Gather in Canada Amid Israel-Iran Crisis.” June 2025.
8 The Globe and Mail. “Canada Hopes to Lift Trump-Era Tariffs.”
9 NPR. “Trump Leaves G7 Summit Early, Refuses to Sign Joint Statement.” June 2018.
10. The Guardian. “Trump Once Joked About Annexing Canada and Greenland.” June 2025.
11. Reuters. “Leaders Try to Avoid Trump Clash at G7.” June 2025
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16/06/2025:
How did it go with Trump today? President Trump abruptly left the G7 in Kananaskis tonight—after signing a trade deal with the UK’s Keir Starmer—citing escalating Israel‑Iran tensions. He skipped planned meetings with Zelenskyy and Sheinbaum to fly back to D.C.
16/06/2025:
How will his exit impact the Summit? He said Israel‑Iran strikes demand ‘everyone evacuate Tehran!’ and refused to join G7’s de‑escalation communique. His early exit throws Zelenskyy talks and Ukraine aid planning off schedule—and shifts focus to a White House emergency session
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