G7 leaders to meet in France with Ukraine, Iran and trade on agenda
France will host G7 leaders in Evian-les-Bains for talks shaped by wars, tariff disputes and concerns over China’s role in rare earths.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
4 min read
Leaders of the Group of Seven are set to gather Monday in Evian-les-Bains, France, for a summit centered on Ukraine, Iran, trade disputes and the world economy. The meeting comes as France holds the G7’s rotating presidency and as several conflicts and economic strains test coordination among major industrial powers, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported.
US President Donald Trump is expected to attend after announcing a tentative agreement with Iran to end the war, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. The summit will bring together the G7 members — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States — along with the European Union.
Who is expected to attend
French President Emmanuel Macron has invited leaders from outside the G7 to join parts of the meeting. Al Jazeera and Reuters reported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani have confirmed they will attend.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was also invited, though it was unclear whether he would travel to France, the outlets reported. Leaders from Australia, Brazil, Kenya and South Korea are also expected at the summit.
South Africa, which had initially been invited, said in March that it had been disinvited, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Relations between Pretoria and Washington have worsened over South Africa’s position on Israel’s conduct in Gaza and over US allegations about the treatment of white South Africans.
The Trump administration has accused South Africa of tacitly backing persecution of white Afrikaner farmers, an allegation President Cyril Ramaphosa has rejected, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. The report said the US claims were not supported by facts, and noted that white Africans make up less than 10 percent of South Africa’s population while owning more than 70 percent of the land.
Executives from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and Mistral AI are also expected to attend, French officials told Reuters, as Paris shapes an agenda that includes global crises and broad economic challenges.
Ukraine and Iran top the talks
Ukraine is expected to be a central topic as Russia’s war continues. Trump is expected to meet Zelenskyy and other G7 leaders, and a senior US official told reporters that Washington wants the war to end as quickly as possible, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.
European diplomats view the summit as a chance to press Trump over US proposals that they see as too favorable to Moscow, the outlets reported. European governments also want to show they are prepared to engage Russia while tightening sanctions and increasing military aid to Ukraine.
Victor Cha of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told Reuters that Europeans are increasingly considering how to operate with less reliance on the United States. His comments reflect broader concern among US allies over Washington’s approach to Ukraine and other crises.
Iran will also feature in the discussions. Al Jazeera and Reuters reported that G7 leaders have been affected by Trump’s tariff conflicts and by his decision to join Israel in attacks on Iran, which pushed oil prices higher and raised questions about the US commitment to a rules-based international order.
Trump is expected to be welcomed by Macron on Monday. He is also expected to hold separate meetings with leaders from Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and India, according to the report.
Trade, tariffs and China
Trade and economic growth are also on the summit agenda. Al Jazeera and Reuters reported that Trump imposed broad tariffs last year on every G7 member and many other countries, setting off trade disputes before the US Supreme Court struck down the tariffs in February.
In June, the Trump administration threatened tariffs of 10 percent to 12.5 percent on 60 trading partners, including India, the UK, the EU and Australia, over alleged forced labor failures, the outlets reported. Trade and tariffs are expected to be a major part of Trump’s meeting with Modi.
China will not attend, but its role in rare earth minerals will be discussed. Reuters reported that France has framed economic imbalances as a shared issue involving Chinese overproduction, US overconsumption and European underinvestment, while Macron has urged Beijing to increase consumption.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.