Jun 17, 2026
Senior US officials briefed journalists on a memorandum of understanding with Iran ahead of a scheduled Friday signing ceremony, but President Trump suggested the deal could still fall through, warning the US could return to military confrontation with Iran.
Group of Seven leaders agreed to establish a new critical minerals coordination platform and set a target that no single country should supply more than 60% of their rare earth imports by 2030, directly addressing current reliance on China for these strategic resources.
European leaders and G7 nations are responding to concerns about a flood of cheap Chinese exports threatening key industries, echoing fears of the original 'China shock' that disrupted Western manufacturing. The issue has become a central topic at the G7 summit as countries weigh policy responses to growing trade imbalances.
President Donald Trump is attending the Group of Seven summit in France, where he will meet with world leaders with whom he has had a documented history of public insults, awkward moments, and diplomatic tensions. French President Emmanuel Macron faces the challenge of keeping Trump engaged in the multilateral forum.
Around 20,000 protesters gathered in Geneva on June 14, 2026, ahead of the G7 summit in nearby Evian, France. What began as a peaceful march escalated into violence as demonstrators targeted symbols of capitalism and multilateralism, setting fire to a parked Tesla and smashing windows at a UN office.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited his grandparents' home village in western Ireland on the eve of the G7 summit, meeting distant relatives while calling for closer international cooperation amid what he described as a 'global rupture.' During the visit, Carney also addressed US AI restrictions on Anthropic's models and suggested a role for the G7 in Iran diplomacy.