Donald Trump has indicated he will depart from the G7 leaders’ summit in Canada a day early. He is leaving a day early due to growing conflicts in the Middle East. Nor is it surprising that the former president has chosen this occasion to come back to Washington. Consequently, he’ll miss key bilateral meetings with a number of these leaders, including Australian PM Anthony Albanese, which would have focused on trade and the Aukus nuclear submarines pact.
His surprise departure comes at a time when tensions are escalating between Israel and Iran. He expressed the necessity to return promptly, stating, “You probably see what I see, and I have to be back as soon as I can.” A foreign office spokeswoman suggested that his early departure was “understandable” in light of the current situation in the Middle East.
The former president’s lack of presence is bad news indeed for Albanese, who was hoping to have their first in-person discussions. The conversations will be focused on equitable trade policy. They will consider the Aukus agreement on nuclear submarines, a prominent part of U.S.-Australia diplomacy. Albanese previously remarked, “The sum of one plus one plus one sometimes equals more than three,” implying the potential benefits of strong partnerships among allies.
Trump’s departure mirrors his bombastic return from the 2018 G7 meeting. At the time, he withdrew from a previously negotiated leaders’ communique and branded then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “dishonest and weak.” During this year’s summit, Trump enthusiastically endorsed proliferation of nuclear technology between the three partner countries under Aukus. He made a point of how important this type of cooperation is for their success.
Indeed, Trump didn’t even bother engaging with Albanese. Instead, he was to be the keynote while meeting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum. His absence from these discussions will certainly not help U.S. diplomatic relations as world leaders try to figure out how to tackle today’s most pressing global issues.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump, insisted that “much was accomplished” at the summit. That was juxtaposed with her comments of the dire situation in the Middle East. Most recently, she affirmed that after dining with heads of state, as is customary, Trump would be departing. Further, she pointed to a productive trade agreement recently signed with the United Kingdom.
While the war between Israel and Iran has escalated, and the prospect of a wider regional war grows by the day, Trump has repeatedly called for diplomacy. He has warned against any escalation of U.S. military involvement if the hostilities continue. The future is still in motion as international heads of state watch these events unfold and work to shape their result.
Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s 30-day Aukus review, which is almost finished. Its broad conclusions will really be resonant in terms of colored debate in allied capitals going forward. What each of these dialogues produces — recommendations and resulting adoption will have significant impact on future interstate relations and regional security norms.