G7 Summit in France: Agenda and Guest List

The Group of Seven (G7) summit opens Monday in Evian-les-Bains, France, with U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders attending. Discussions are expected to focus on the war in Ukraine, trade tensions, and the U.S.-Iran conflict, after Trump announced an interim deal with Iran aimed at ending hostilities.

France holds the rotating G7 presidency. The group includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This year's summit takes place amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Guest list

Alongside G7 leaders and the European Union (EU), French President Emmanuel Macron has invited several non-member heads of state as guests. Confirmed attendees include Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The participation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman remains uncertain. Leaders from Australia, Brazil, Kenya, and South Korea will also attend.

Notably, South Africa's invitation was rescinded after an initial invite in March. Ties between South Africa and the U.S. have soured over Pretoria's stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict and its treatment of the white minority—an issue Trump has repeatedly raised, including during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in May. The Trump administration has pressured South Africa, accusing it of tacitly supporting the persecution of white Afrikaner farmers, though these claims remain unsubstantiated. Ramaphosa has denied the allegations. White South Africans, who make up less than 10% of the population, own more than 70% of the land.

In addition to leaders, AI executives from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and Mistral AI are expected to attend, according to French officials.

Agenda

The two-day summit will center on Ukraine and Iran, as well as global economic challenges.

Ukraine: As the Russia-Ukraine war escalates, Trump—who is seeking to bring Moscow and Kyiv to the negotiating table—is expected to meet with President Zelenskyy and other G7 leaders. A senior U.S. official said Washington wants “to end the war as soon as possible.” Meanwhile, European diplomats view the summit as a chance to persuade Trump that his proposals overly favor Moscow. Europe wants to signal readiness for dialogue with Russia while tightening sanctions and increasing military aid to Ukraine.

Iran: Leaders will discuss next steps regarding Iran. Many G7 leaders are directly affected by Trump's tariff war and his decision to join Israel in striking Iran, which has driven up oil prices. Washington’s unilateral actions raise questions about its commitment to a rules-based global order. Trump will hold separate meetings with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and India.

Trade: Economic growth and trade are on the agenda. Last year, Trump imposed broad tariffs on every G7 member and many other countries, sparking a global trade war. Although the U.S. Supreme Court scrapped those tariffs this February, the Trump administration threatened in June to impose 10-12.5% tariffs on 60 trading partners, including India, the UK, the EU, and Australia, citing forced labor allegations. Trade and tariffs will be a key topic in Trump's meeting with Prime Minister Modi.

China: Though not attending, leaders will discuss Beijing’s dominance of rare earth minerals, used in electronics. According to Reuters, France argues that macroeconomic imbalances are a shared responsibility: China overproduces, the U.S. overconsumes, and Europe underinvests. Brazil, India, Kenya, and South Korea will join these discussions, while Macron calls on China to boost consumption.