G7 summit: Trump calls removing Russia from group 'mistake'

US President Donald Trump quelled speculation that his abrupt exit from the G7 summit was to work on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, while simultaneously taking a shot at "publicity seeking" French President Emmanuel Macron.

"Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a ceasefire. Much bigger than that. Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong. Stay tuned!" he wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. 

Trump and the US secretary of State Marco Rubio departed early from the summit in Canada due to tensions in the Middle East.

His comments around the departure, along with a warning for "everyone" to evacuate Tehran hint at larger US involvement in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.

The Group of Seven leaders gathered in Kananaskis, Canada, have urged for a de-escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict in a joint statement released at the close of the day's proceedings.

The leaders said they hoped a resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of the hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza. 

The group reiterated their position on Iran's nuclear capabilities.

"We affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon," the statement read.

The Iranian regime has consistently claimed its nuclear program is exclusively civilian in nature — and most experts and Western intelligence agencies agree that Iran is currently not building a nuclear weapon.

However, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran has accumulated more than 400 kilograms (881 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60%. That level of enrichment far exceeds what is needed for civilian energy production — and is close to weapons-grade material.

US President Donald Trump and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio are heading back to Washington after leaving the G7 summit early, on Monday night, multiple reports said.

The decision to leave early came after Trump's warning on Truth Social: "Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!"

Trump told reporters: "I have to be back as soon as I can. I wish I could stay for tomorrow, but they understand, this is big stuff."

Earlier in the day, Trump had told reporters: "As soon as I leave here, we're going to be doing something." 

With this departure, Trump will miss a day of meetings including likely discussions with the leaders of Ukraine and Mexico.

A trade deal reached between the US and the UK last month has been finalized, both US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday on the sidelines of the G7 summit.

Trump said the US relationship with Britain was "just fantastic," as he stood next to Starmer, waving a document which he said he had just signed.

"We signed it and it's done," Trump added. "It's a fair deal for both. It'll produce a lot of jobs, a lot of income."

Starmer said the deal would implement agreements reached on auto tariffs and aerospace, without giving any details.

"A really important agreement. And so this is a very good day for both of our countries, a real sign of strength," Starmer said.

The first full day of sessions has kicked off at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta with the leaders alternately breaking off into bilateral sessions with one another, and rejoining the larger group in working sessions. 

US President Donald Trump is meeting G7 host and Canadian leader Mark Carney this morning, while German chancellor Friedrich Merz sits down with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

The larger group sessions slated for Monday are themed around economic growth and global security — both topics overshadowed by a Trump-induced trade war affecting all G7 members, and the rapidly escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. 

Today will be a test for Prime Minister Mark Carney — keeping the summit free from the sort of confrontations relished by Trump on a public stage, and the group focused on the huge issues dominating the gathering.

On the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, US President Donald Trump addressed the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, saying Iran was not winning.

The US president added that Iran should reenter negotiations over its nuclear program "before it's too late." A new round of US-Iran nuclear talks was scheduled on Sunday, but Iran pulled out after the Israeli attacks started.

"They have to make a deal, and it's painful for both parties, but I'd say Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk, and they should talk immediately, before it's too late," Trump told reporters.

Media reports cited unnamed sources as saying Trump did not intend to sign the document coming out of the G7, which addresses the conflict.

US President Donald Trump has once again complained about the G7's throwing Russia out of what was once the G8 following its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

"The G7 used to be the G8. Barack Obama and a person named Trudeau didn't want to have Russia in," Trump said, referring to former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "And I would say that was a mistake, because I think you wouldn't have a war right now if you had Russia in, and you wouldn't have a war right now if Trump were president four years ago."

The US leader also said he "wouldn't mind" China's joining the G7.

We are resuming our coverage of the G7 summit, as US President Donald Trump arrives and reports begin to emerge on a draft document.

Issues in the draft document reportedly include calls for Israel and Iran to exercise restraint during their unfolding conflict, as well as the group's agreeing on a strategy to protect critical mineral supply and reaffirming an earlier commitment to prevent and counter migrant smuggling.

So far, Trump doesn't intend to sign the document, CBS News has reported.

We've paused our coverage for now and will have more updates from the G7 meeting later this evening.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has arrived in Canada for the G7 summit. 

The chancellor is scheduled to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for talks on Sunday evening.

Speaking before his departure, Merz said his main topics for summit are the conflict between Israel and Iran, efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the trade dispute with the United States and migration. 

"Iran must not be allowed to develop or have nuclear weapons," he stressed.

"Israel has the right to defend its existence and the security of its citizens," he said, adding that Iran's nuclear weapons program was an existential threat to Israel.

On Monday and Tuesday, Merz is scheduled to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines with leaders from Japan, Australia, India, Brazil and South Africa. 

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he hopes Israel and Iran can make a deal but said sometimes countries have to fight it out first.

"I hope there’s going to be a deal. I think it's time for a deal and we’ll see what happens," Trump said to reporters as he left for the G7 summit in Canada. 

"Sometimes they have to fight it out, but we're gonna see what happens," Trump said.

Trump said the United States will continue to support the defense of Israel but declined to say if he asked Israel to pause strikes on Iran.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the US president's threats to Greenland are "not what allies do" as he arrived in the autonomous Danish territory for a short visit.

Macron was visiting the Arctic island to convey "France's and the European Union's solidarity" for "the sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Greenland, he told reporters in Nuuk.

Greenland is a self-ruling territory of Denmark with the right to declare independence. Both the Greenland and Danish governments say it is not for sale and only Greenlanders can determine their future.

Leaders from Ukraine, Mexico, India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea and Brazil are also likely to want to hold bilateral meetings with Trump to put across their interests on the sidelines of the G7 summit.

Of particular interest is the likely meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump, with their last prolonged one-to-one encounter at the end of February turning into a notorious televised dressing-down of the Ukrainian leader by Trump and his deputy, JD Vance.

Canada, for its part, has long been one of Ukraine's most vocal supporters, while the US has become ever more ambivalent in its attitude to Russia's invasion of its neighbor.

The leaders of the Group of Seven economies are coming together for their annual gathering, which is the first of its kind since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

For this G7 meeting, diplomats say Canada has dispensed with the idea of issuing a comprehensive joint final communique, and will instead release chair summaries.

"This will be a successful meeting if Donald Trump doesn't have an eruption that disrupts the entire gathering. Anything above and beyond that is gravy," said University of Ottawa international affairs professor Roland Paris, who was foreign policy adviser to Trudeau. 

The last time Canada was host, during Trump's first term in 2018, the US leader left the summit, held in Quebec, before slamming then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as "very dishonest and weak."  

He also instructed the US delegation to go back on its approval of the final communique. 

French President Emmanuel Macron will pay a visit to the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland on Sunday.

The island, the world's largest, has been the focus of much attention in recent months after US President Donald Trump made several remarks indicating his interest of incorporating it into US territory, citing reasons of national security. Both Greenland and Denmark have categorically rejected Trump's approaches.

Macron's visit, which comes just hours ahead of his participation in the G7 summit, is being seen as a show of European support for the territory, whose some 60,000 citizens are Danish nationals and thus also citizens of the EU.

The French president will visit Greenland alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, with the leaders planning to discuss the security situation in the North Atlantic and the Arctic with Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

Macron's office said talks, which are planned aboard a Danish frigate, will also touch on economic development, climate change and renewable energy.

He is expected to visit a glacier threatened by global warming and a hydroelectric power plant.

Greenland's ice sheet is currently melting at a rapid rate as the Earth warms, contributing greatly to the rise of sea levels across the world.