What is the story about?
World leaders are converging on a small French lakeside town this week for one of the year's most consequential diplomatic gatherings, and the timing could
not be more charged. The G7 Leaders' Summit kicks off Monday in Évian-les-Bains, on France's eastern border with Switzerland along the shores of Lake Geneva, running through June 17. The town is no stranger to high-stakes diplomacy. It last hosted a major summit back in 2003, when it welcomed the 29th G8 gathering. Russia used to be part of the grouping back then. More than two decades later, it is back in the spotlight.
When and Where
The summit runs from June 15 to June 17, with France holding the G7 presidency this year. As host, France sets the agenda and priorities for the three-day gathering. Because the G7 operates as a forum rather than a formal institution, the presidency rotates each year among its members.Who Is Attending
All seven G7 member nations will be represented at the summit by their current leaders:Emmanuel Macron of France is hosting. Donald Trump is attending for the United States. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will be there alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Beyond the core seven, France has invited a significant number of guest nations to take part. India, Brazil, South Korea, Kenya, Egypt, Ukraine, Qatar, Syria and the United Arab Emirates are all sending their leaders. The European Union is also participating as a non-member observer, represented by European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Notable guest leaders include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, Kenyan President William Ruto and Syrian Prime Minister Ahmed al-Sharaa, who used to be a terrorist.
What Is on the Agenda
France has organized its presidency around three broad priorities. The first is tackling global economic imbalances, with Macron keen to restore the G7's original purpose as a dialogue platform among major economies, pushing back against protectionism and working toward more balanced growth. The second is navigating geopolitical crises, particularly the conflict in West Asia and its ripple effects on energy security and global supply chains. The third is artificial intelligence governance, with leaders expected to work toward shared global standards for emerging digital technologies.Beyond those stated priorities, Russia's continuing war against Ukraine is expected to take up significant time on the sidelines. That conflict is still grinding on in eastern Europe and remains a pressing concern for several of the nations in the room.
There is also an underlying tension to watch. When Macron set France's G7 agenda in January, he spoke about reducing inequality and strengthening multilateralism. Those goals sit at odds with Trump's America First approach, which has included sweeping tariffs, pointed public criticism of other world leaders and the prosecution of a war. How those competing worldviews play out across three days of talks will be one of the more interesting dynamics to follow.
Trump Arrives Fresh Off an Iran Deal
Trump heads to Évian-les-Bains on the heels of a significant development. The United States and Iran reached an agreement on Sunday, ending nearly four months of conflict that had rattled global energy markets and driven up gas prices. Trump said he would leave for the summit immediately after attending a UFC event on the White House's South Lawn on Sunday evening, which also happened to fall on his 80th birthday.The Iran deal is likely to shape the mood heading into the summit, giving Trump something to tout on the world stage while also raising fresh questions about what comes next in the Middle East.
