US President Donald Trump left the G7 summit early on Monday, flying home as fighting between Iran and Israel entered its fifth day. His early departure came just after he repeated warnings for people in Tehran to evacuate, citing security concerns.
Trump’s helicopter took off from the summit site in the Canadian Rockies, heading to his plane after he met other world leaders. He had earlier urged Iran to return to talks over a nuclear deal. He blamed Iran for the current violence and repeated that the country should have signed an agreement with the United States.
A White House statement confirmed the early departure. It said Trump had made progress at the summit but needed to return due to fast-moving events in the Middle East. He was originally expected to stay until Tuesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump had offered steps toward a possible ceasefire. According to Macron, the US offer aimed to stop the ongoing missile attacks and begin peace discussions between Iran and Israel.
“It’s now up to both sides to respond,” Macron told reporters.
The G7 summit brought together leaders from Canada, the United States, France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Japan, and the European Union. They met in Kananaskis, a mountain resort in Canada, to discuss global crises.
Talks were already tense before Trump left. The group had been divided on many issues, including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Trump’s open support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his push for trade tariffs caused further division.
While Trump did not suggest that Russia should rejoin the G7, he called it a mistake to remove the country from the group in 2014. That year, Russia had seized Crimea from Ukraine, leading to its removal from what was then the G8.
“If Russia had not been pushed out, maybe the Ukraine war would never have happened,” Trump said during a press appearance.
He added that Putin still talks to him but not to others in the G7, which raised concerns among European leaders about how much support Ukraine can expect.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to attend the summit on Tuesday. His goal is to gain support for new sanctions against Russia and more aid for Ukraine. However, Trump’s stance may weaken those efforts.
Canada, the summit host, decided not to push for a joint statement by all leaders. Officials said they wanted to avoid a repeat of the 2018 G7 meeting when Trump withdrew support from the final agreement after leaving.
Instead, individual documents on issues like AI, migration, and rare minerals were drafted. However, none have been approved by the US delegation.
A European official said that with Trump gone, it is unclear whether any of those statements will be released at all.
The summit also included leaders from several non-G7 nations, such as South Korea, India, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Australia, and Ukraine. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had invited them to help shape wider global policy.
Trump also held talks on trade during his time at the summit. He confirmed a new deal with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The agreement lowers tariffs and marks Britain as the first to secure such terms with the US since 2024.
Trump said he was open to a deal with Canada but stressed that tariffs must be part of any new agreement. This view is strongly opposed by Canadian leaders.
Canada’s ambassador to Washington, Kirsten Hillman, said her country believes in free trade. “Our goal is no tariffs on Canadian goods entering the US,” she said.
Despite the early departure, Trump’s time at the summit left a strong mark. But his sudden exit and firm positions may leave key talks on global peace and trade hanging in the balance.
