Trump and Zelenskyy will meet at the G7 summit in Canada

Trump and Zelenskyy will meet at the G7 summit in Canada

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and White House leader Donald Trump will meet at the G7 summit in Canada. The event kicked off on Sunday, June 15, at the Kananaskis Resort in the province of Alberta and will continue until Tuesday, June 17.

This was reported by Axios. The G7 includes leaders from the USA, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Traditionally, representatives of the European Union and invited leaders of other countries participate in the meeting as well. This time, they were invited by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed his participation in the summit.

According to a White House report, Trump plans to meet with Zelenskyy, Mark Carney, and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum. Zelenskyy and Trump last saw each other during the funeral of Pope Francis in April.

Also, newly elected leaders will attend the G7 summit for the first time: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

This year’s summit takes place against the backdrop of a recent armed conflict between Israel and Iran, as well as growing disagreements between the USA and some allies on issues concerning Gaza, the war in Ukraine, and Donald Trump’s initiatives regarding new tariffs, particularly concerning Canada.

As the publication notes, Donald Trump heads to Canada amid recurring statements perceived as threats to the sovereignty of its northern neighbor. Over recent months, he has repeatedly expressed interest in annexing Canada and has effectively drawn it into a trade war by imposing tariff restrictions.

During a recent meeting at the White House, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made it clear to Trump that the country has no intention of becoming the 51st state of the USA.

This is not the first instance of tension in the relations. During his first term as president, Trump broke up the G7 summit in 2018, which also took place in Canada, by tearing up an agreement reached by world leaders. He then criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling him "very dishonest and weak" on social media.