Ukraine’s Zelensky to seek G-7 support as Trump’s early exit puts dampener on summit

KANANASKIS, Alberta – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will on June 17 urge the Group of Seven (G-7) to provide more backing for the war against Russia, even after US President Donald Trump left the summit early due to developments in the Middle East.

The G-7 group of wealthy nations has struggled to find unity over conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as Mr Trump has overtly expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and imposed tariffs on many of the allies present.

Mr Zelensky is due to meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the morning before attending a G-7 working breakfast on “A strong and sovereign Ukraine”, accompanied by Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

Mr Trump said on June 16 that he

needed to be back in Washington

as soon as possible due to the situation in the Middle East, where escalating attacks between Iran and Israel have raised risks of a broader regional conflict.

He later said his early departure from the summit had “nothing to do with” working on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, however, denying comments by French President Emmanuel Macron who had said the US President leaving could be a positive sign of a potential deal.

A European Union diplomat said all remaining G-7 members wanted to stay to meet Mr Zelensky and continue conversations.

Mr Trump did agree to a group statement calling for a resolution of the Israel-Iran 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 said.

The statement said Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror and that Israel has the right to defend itself.

Last week, Mr Zelensky said he planned to discuss continued support for Ukraine, sanctions against Russia and future financing for Kyiv’s reconstruction efforts.

Mr Trump said on June 16 that the then Group of Eight (G-8) had been wrong to expel Russia after Mr Putin ordered the occupation of Crimea in 2014.

Though Mr Trump stopped short of saying Russia should be reinstated in the group, his comments had already raised doubts about how much Mr Zelensky could achieve in a scheduled Trump meeting.

The Kremlin said on June 17 that Mr Trump was right to assert that it had been a

big mistake to expel Russia from the G-8

. The Kremlin said the G-7 was no longer significant for Russia and looked “rather useless” now.

On trade, Mr Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said they have finalised a trade deal reached in May, while Mr Carney said he and the US President had agreed to seal a new economic and trade relationship within the next 30 days.

G-7 leaders prepared several draft documents seen by Reuters, including on migration, artificial intelligence and critical minerals. None of them have been approved by the US, according to sources briefed on the documents.

Without Mr Trump, it is unclear if there will be any declarations, a European diplomat said.

Mr Carney also invited non-G-7 members Mexico, India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea and Brazil, as he tries to shore up alliances elsewhere and diversify Canada’s exports away from the US.

Canada’s relationship with India has been tense

since former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of involvement in the June 2023 murder of Mr Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader in Canada.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has denied involvement in Mr Nijjar’s killing and has accused Canada of providing a safe haven for Sikh separatists. It is Mr Modi’s first visit to Canada in a decade. REUTERS