United States President Donald Trump left the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada on Monday night, a day earlier than scheduled over the worsening Israel-Iran conflict.
He cancelled a scheduled meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, signalling a shift from the European nation’s ongoing war with Rusaia.
An overnight Russian drone attack killed 14 people in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
Ahead of Trump’s departure, he and United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said they were signing a trade deal to ease tariffs between goods from the U.S. and the United Kingdom, the Associated Press reports.
The deal does not include tariffs on steel, an especially important piece of bilateral trade.
During the summit, Trump posted to his social media platform about tensions in the Mideast, writing: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”
Trump had been set to meet Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Trump finalised a trade agreement with the United Kingdom, first announced in May, that is expected to slash tariffs on goods from both countries.
Trump said the deal will “produce a lot of jobs, a lot of income.”
The final deal does not include tariffs on steel, as was previously planned in the provisional agreement, but talks on the subject are ongoing.
Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum decided to stay at the G7 summit in Canada despite her meeting with Trump being canceled.
Mexico’s Foreign Relations office said on X that Sheinbaum will have “an important” conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The post said Sheinbaum will also meet with the leaders from Germany, India and the European Union.
The Foreign Relations Office added that Mexico hopes the situation in Middle East “doesn’t worsen.”
The meeting with Trump would have been her first face-to-face discussion since Sheinbaum took power last year.
In 2018, Trump also left the G7 summit in Quebec early, departing mid-afternoon on the second day following a gender equality advisory lunch and after arguing with other leaders on the wording of the final joint statement.
He left so he could arrive early in Singapore for a meeting with Kim Jong Un.
Trump missed the energy and environment discussion that day and the next morning outreach session with a dozen additional leaders on the ocean plastic pollution issue.
Without going into detail about his decision, Trump said he wishes he could stay in Canada.
He spoke to reporters during a group photo session with the other G7 leaders.
“I have to be back, very important,” Trump said. “You probably see what I see, and I have to be back as soon as I can.”
Trump said he’s heading back to the White House after the leaders have dinner and that “they understand” why he’s leaving.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the summit host, said he was “grateful” for Trump’s presence and “I fully understand” his decision.
It comes as the U.S. has repositioned both warships and military aircraft in the region to respond if the conflict between Israel and Iran further escalates.
