G7 summit in Canada: Merz meets Trump – storm over Russia and China!

G7 summit in Canada: Merz meets Trump – storm over Russia and China!

The G7 summit officially began in Canada on June 17, 2025, with heads of state and government from seven of the leading industrial nations meeting to discuss the most pressing challenges facing the global economy. This conference will last until Tuesday and will focus on current global crises, with a particular focus on China and Ukraine. Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz will inform the media on Monday morning about the results of the first talks, which are intended to help find a common line. But it is already clear that the events on the sidelines of the summit are also of great importance because they could significantly influence the future course of international politics.

US President Donald Trump, who is also in Canada, recently described Russia's exclusion from the G7 as a "big mistake", causing considerable uproar. As European leaders push for tougher sanctions against Russia, Trump insists the conflict in Ukraine would not exist if Russia were still part of the G7. Trump has also expressed the opinion that it would not be a bad idea to admit China into the G7 - a statement that is sure to raise eyebrows among many European partners. Tagesschau reports that Trump also brought Vladimir Putin into discussion as a mediator in the conflict between Israel and Iran, which Merz vehemently rejected. The Chancellor is calling on Putin to immediately end the aggression against Ukraine and hopes for a strong signal of unity during the summit.

Expectations and goals of the G7

The topics of the summit are extremely diverse. In addition to the Ukraine conflict, the heads of state and government are also addressing the situation in the Middle East and would like to develop a joint statement on the Iran issue in order to control access to nuclear weapons-capable material. While the European side is pushing for progress in the negotiations and has an 18th sanctions package against Russia in the drawer, Trump is proving to be an obstacle because he does not want to sign a joint declaration on the conflict between Israel and Iran. The South German emphasizes that Merz is particularly trying to achieve agreement on tougher sanctions against Russia and progress in international trade policy.

Also crucial to the G7 agenda is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has been invited as a guest and will urge the G7 states to increase pressure on Russia. In order to meet the increased demands in the energy sector, a reduction in the price cap for Russian oil from 60 to 45 US dollars per barrel is being discussed. The talks are likely to turn out to be extremely complex, especially since the positions within the G7 are not always congruent.

G7 in an international context

The G7 summit is one of many informal forums for international cooperation, including the G20. The latter includes 19 countries as well as the EU and in recent years has increasingly dealt with issues such as climate and energy policy, trade and food security. The members of the G7, made up of Germany, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Great Britain and the USA, have set themselves the goal of tackling global problems together and promoting a broad-based culture of dialogue. An important aspect is that the resolutions of the summit meetings are not legally binding, but can have a political impact. The BMEL emphasizes that dialogue with civil society and the involvement of interest groups are becoming increasingly important in order to successfully overcome today's challenges.