G7 summit in Canada: Merz and Trump struggle to form a common line to Russia

G7 summit in Canada: Merz and Trump struggle to form a common line to Russia

Kananaskis, Kanada - On June 16, 2025, the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, started and is all about split opinions towards Russia. While US President Donald Trump describes the decision to exclude Russia from the G8 talks as "big mistakes", the European heads of state and government are pushing for a tough course opposite Moscow. In the middle of these differences, the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj as a guest was also expected to increase the pressure in Germany.

What's left of Trump's words? He expressed that "no war" had broken out if Russia had still been part of the group. At the same time, he proposed to get China on board and considered this as "not a bad idea". Chancellor Friedrich Merz contradicted Trump and asked Putin to end the war in Ukraine. For Merz, his first G7 participation is an international test for Merz, in which he hopes to find a common position on the topics of sanctions against Russia and the conflict between Israel and Iran.

Focus of the talks

The topics on the agenda are wide: from the conflict between Israel and Iran to the Ukraine war to world trade. Europeans are responsible for convincing Trump to increase the pressure on Russia. A proposal to reduce the price lid for Russian oil from $ 45 per barrel was developed. This measure, which is also supported by the EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, is intended to help to bring Russia to the negotiating tables and to end the Ukraine War.

from the Leyen emphasized the central role of sanctions in Canada. She invites the G7 partners to participate in a new EU initiative, which is specifically directed against the Russian energy and banking sector. The previous measures have already had an effect: Russia's income from oil and gas has dropped by almost 80 percent since the beginning of the war. Nevertheless, there are concerns from the United States that have previously prevented an agreement on price lid reduction in terms of increasing energy prices.

perspective of the G7

The positions within the G7 are as different as the countries themselves. While Germany, France and Great Britain make clear announcements to harden the sanctions, the US strategy remains uncertain. Trump also wanted to make a strong signal of unity at the summit beyond Ukraine, but it became clear that the joint course is often on the brink.

If you look back into the history of the G7 summit, which was launched in 1975, it becomes clear that the composition has changed over the years. Russia was part of the group from 2002 to 2014, but was excluded after the annexation of the Crimea. Today it is about strengthening the common democratic values ​​and mastering the challenges of the global geopolitical landscape, while the negotiations are difficult.

It remains exciting how the summit will develop and what decisions will ultimately be made to cope with the complex conflicts of this world.

For more information on this topic, we refer to the articles of Tagesschau and Nau .