G7 meeting in France: What’s on agenda, who is attending?

(Al Jazeera)

What is on the agenda?

During the two-day summit in the French town, leaders are expected to discuss the situation in Ukraine and Iran, as well as world economic challenges.

Ukraine

As Russia’s war on Ukraine continues to rage, Trump, who has been trying to bring Moscow and Kyiv to the negotiating table, is expected to meet Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and G7 leaders for discussions.

One senior US official told reporters the US wants “the war to end as quickly as possible”.

Meanwhile, European diplomats see the summit as an opportunity to convince Trump that US proposals for a deal have been too favourable to Moscow. European nations also want to signal that they are willing to engage Moscow, while tightening sanctions and boosting military support for Ukraine.

“What we are increasingly seeing ⁠is Europeans beginning to think about a life with less America,” Victor Cha, head of geopolitics and foreign policy at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Reuters.

Iran

Besides Ukraine, leaders are also expected to discuss the next steps on Iran and other pressing issues facing the world.

Many G7 leaders have been directly impacted by Trump’s tariff wars and his decision to join Israel in attacking Iran, which sent oil prices soaring and caused a geopolitical headache for the world. His unilateral actions have led to larger questions about the US commitment to a rules-based world order.

Trump will be greeted on Monday by Macron and is expected to meet separately with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and India.

Trade

Trade and economic growth are also expected to be part of the agenda. Last year, Trump imposed broad tariffs on every member of the G7, as well as on most other countries around the world, prompting a global trade war. While the US Supreme Court struck down the tariffs in February this year, in June, the Trump administration has threatened tariffs of between 10 percent and 12.5 percent on 60 trading partners, including India, the UK, the EU and Australia, over alleged forced labour failures.

Trade and tariffs will be a key part of the discussion when Trump meets India’s Prime Minister Modi.

China

China, the world’s second-largest economy, will not be in attendance at the gathering. But leaders will discuss issues, including Beijing’s dominance and control in the market for rare earth minerals used in everyday electronic appliances.

According to Reuters, France has framed the issue of macro-economic imbalances as a shared responsibility in that China overproduces, the US over-consumes, and Europe underinvests.

Brazil, India, Kenya and South Korea will join this discussion, while Macron has urged China to boost its consumption.