Trump Leaves G7 Meeting Early to Address Escalating Middle East Crisis
US President Donald Trump departed the ongoing G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, a day early on Monday, June 16, 2023, according to an announcement from the White House. Trump's decision to leave was influenced by escalating tensions in the Middle East, where a series of mutual bombings between Iran and Israel had been ongoing for five days. Later, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth, urging for the immediate evacuation of Tehran, Iran's capital.
The G7 summit gathers the leaders of seven of the world's most influential democracies. On the agenda for the day Trump left was a discussion centered around trade and the United States' impending tariffs on imports from the European Union, set to escalate on July 9. Despite the significant discussions planned, Trump concluded his participation in the summit after some brief bilateral conversations and photo opportunities with fellow leaders, announcing he would return to Washington to address pressing issues.
In a statement following his exit, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt emphasized that Trump had a productive day at the G7, but the situation in the Middle East necessitated his quick departure after dinner with other heads of state.
While engaging with journalists, Trump underscored that Iran needs to curtail its nuclear ambitions, claiming that a deal could still be reached on this critical issue. The President also weighed in on Russia, suggesting that the decision to oust them from the G8 in 2014 was a significant error. He expressed his belief that current tensions leading to potential conflict could have been mitigated if Russia had remained part of the group, attributing blame to former US President Barack Obama and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for this exclusion.
Later that evening, the remaining G7 leaders—including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom—came together to sign a joint declaration. This declaration asserted that Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons and called for a de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, which included a ceasefire in Gaza and reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself. Notably, this declaration was not endorsed by President Trump.
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