With just three days to go before the opening of the G7 summit in Evian, the Elysee has already secured a victory: the presence of Donald Trump.
Initially, the summit was scheduled for June 14 to 16. However, Donald Trump is hosting an MMA fight at the White House on the 14th, which also happens to be his birthday. Consequently, the summit has been postponed one day to accommodate his schedule.
Emmanuel Macron has even invited Donald Trump to a dinner at Versailles following the G7, although it is unclear whether the American president will accept the invitation.
Uncertainty long loomed over Donald Trump's attendance in Evian, which the White House only recently confirmed.
While the Elysee has succeeded in securing the American president's attendance, the battle is far from won. G7 leaders still remember last year's summit in Kananaskis, Canada. President Trump left the summit a day early. In the midst of the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, he explained that he had to return to Washington due to the conflict's escalation.
G7 Summit in Kananaskis (Canada), June 16, 2025
The other summit fresh in everyone's mind is the 2018 meeting, during which Donald Trump withdrew his support for the final communique. This is a blunder the Elysee is desperate to avoid, especially as this summit has been framed in recent days as one of "convergence."
To avoid clashes with the American side, topics such as climate change have been removed from the agenda.
The burning issue of this G7 meeting will be the situation in the Middle East, as all leaders present must deal with the economic consequences of the war that was started by the United States and Israel against Iran. This conflict has deepened divisions between the United States and its allies. Donald Trump has criticized Europeans for their lack of support, while Europe has maintained that this war was not theirs to fight.
In an effort to align their positions, France and the UK have established a mission intended to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once the fighting ends. According to Bloomberg, the Allies will seek the American president's support for this plan in Evian. The mission could be deployed quickly, as Donald Trump yesterday said that an agreement with Iran could be signed as early as this weekend.
During the three days of the G7, Emmanuel Macron will once again attempt to bring Donald Trump closer to European positions.
Since 2017, the French president has often highlighted his personal relationship with Donald Trump, despite multiple verbal sparring matches between the two men and very different views on numerous subjects.
Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump are the two most experienced leaders at the G7, they are the only ones who were already present at the last G7 hosted by France, in Biarritz, in 2019.
