Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 12
Macron Delays G7 Start for Trump’s 80th Birthday as Zelenskyy Joins Talks Amid Rifts
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 12

Macron Delays G7 Start for Trump’s 80th Birthday as Zelenskyy Joins Talks Amid Rifts

3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 12

Summary

  • Macron pushed the G7 opening back by 1 day so Trump can spend his 80th birthday at a White House UFC event, underscoring France’s effort to keep him at next week’s summit in Evian-les-Bains.
  • Tuesday’s agenda will include Zelenskyy, whom Macron invited as Ukraine remains a major fault line with Trump alongside disputes over tariffs, Iran and U.S. commitment to NATO.
  • Trump’s ties with Macron have deteriorated from early first-term warmth to open barbs in his second term, with Macron condemning U.S. tariffs and publicly challenging Trump’s claims about Europe’s Ukraine funding.
  • The summit will test whether Macron can still manage Trump after Washington joined Israel’s war against Iran without consulting allies and then criticized Europeans for not helping.

Insights

With new U.S. tariff deadlines looming, can the G7 prevent a full-blown transatlantic trade war?
Beyond strained handshakes, do G7 divisions signal the permanent end of the post-war global order?
Can Europe’s strategic autonomy succeed as U.S. leadership on aid and trade wanes?