Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to be more muted in his criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump at an upcoming summit in Europe. Carney's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos helped make him an international political star in January, when he declared the global rules-based order over and condemned coercion by great powers on smaller countries. But the Group of Seven summit of industrialized democracies that begins Monday in France comes ahead of the scheduled July 1 review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA. That's the latest iteration of the North American free-trade pact.
By MATTHEW LEE and SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press
Deep divisions were apparent over the Iran war as top diplomats from the Group of Seven countries have met in France. But they agreed to call for an immediate halt to attacks against civilian populations and infrastructure after meeting Friday in France. The G7 meeting follows U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated complaints that allies have ignored or rejected requests for help confronting Iran's retaliation, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to most international shipping. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined his G7 counterparts a day after Trump lobbed his latest round of insults at NATO countries.
By JAMEY KEATEN, EMMA BURROWS and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press
President Donald Trump's tariff threats over Greenland have strained relations with America's key NATO allies. European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, criticized Trump's approach on Tuesday, warning of potential retaliation. The European Union's top official calls the tariffs a "mistake," questioning Trump's reliability. Trump argues the U.S. needs Greenland to counter threats from China and Russia. Greenland's leader insists on respect for international law. European leaders consider countermeasures, including tariffs and economic sanctions. As tensions rise, Trump plans to address the issue at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Top diplomats from the Group of Seven industrialized democracies are converging on southern Ontario as tensions rise between the U.S. and traditional allies like Canada over defense spending and trade. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand tells The Associated Press "the relationship has to continue across a range of issues." Anand hosts U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and their counterparts from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan on Tuesday and Wednesday. Anand also has invited the foreign ministers of Australia, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa and Ukraine. The meeting comes after the U.S. ended trade talks with Canada when the Ontario provincial government ran an anti-tariff advertisement.
By JOSH BOAK, ROB GILLIES and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press
World leaders at the Group of Seven summit in Canada scrambled Monday to find a way to contain the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. President Donald Trump repeated his belief that Tehran already had a chance for negotiations and needed to return to the bargaining table before it was "too late." The U.S. president said that Iranian leaders would "like to talk" but they had "60 days" to reach an agreement to curb their development of nuclear weapons, but they failed to do so before an Israeli aerial assault began four years ago. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wants a joint statement from Europe that would stress Iran cannot be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons-capable material.
By NICOLE WINFIELD and KELVIN CHAN Associated Press
Updated
Pope Francis has challenged leaders of the world's wealthy democracies to keep human dignity foremost in developing and using artificial intelligence. He warned that human relations themselves could be reduced to algorithms. Francis brought his moral authority to bear on the Group of Seven. In doing so, he became the first pope to attend the G7, offering an ethical take on an issue that is increasingly on the agenda of international summits, government policy and corporate boards alike. The final G7 communique largely reflected his concerns. The leaders pledged to better coordinate the governance and regulatory frameworks surrounding AI to keep it "human-centered."
The leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies have agreed to set in motion a $50 billion loan to help Ukraine. Interest earned on profits from Russia's frozen central bank assets would be used as collateral. Details of the deal are being hashed out by G7 leaders at their summit in Italy. The money could reach Kyiv before the end of the year. The plan is to use profits from Russia's roughly $260 billion in frozen central bank assets as collateral. President Joe Biden said the move was part of a "historic agreement." Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, called it "a vital step forward in providing sustainable support for Ukraine in winning this war."
Russian forces have launched new deadly attacks on Ukraine, killing at least nine people a day before a high-profile meeting where leaders of countries that are some of Ukraine's biggest backers are to discuss how to slow Moscow's offensive. Ukrainian authorities say that along with the nine killed, 29 people were wounded when Russian missiles hit an apartment block in Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown, on Wednesday. He says the strike has again proven the need for the West to help strengthen Ukrainian air defenses. Zelenskyy has repeatedly appealed to Kyiv's Western partners to provide more air defense systems, and the United States has agreed to send another Patriot missile system,
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE and COLLEEN LONG Associated Press
President Joe Biden and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will sign a security agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine on Thursday when they meet on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Italy, aiming to send a signal to Russia of American resolve in supporting Kyiv. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Wednesday the agreement would not commit U.S. troops directly to Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion. That's a red line drawn by Biden, who's fearful of being pulled into direct conflict between the nuclear-armed powers. Biden is heading to Italy for the summit with his counterparts from the world's leading democracies, who have an urgency to get big things done.
