Calgary, Alberta
CNN
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President Donald Trump does not intend to sign a joint statement calling for de-escalation between Israel and Iran that had been drafted by G7 leaders in Canada, according to a person familiar with the matter, though officials preparing the document held out hope that he could eventually be convinced to add his name.
The draft statement, which had been spearheaded by European officials at the summit, says Israel has a right to defend itself and that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.
Trump’s decision not to sign on to the statement set up an immediate divide with his counterparts as the summit was getting underway in the Canadian Rockies.
Hours before the conference was set to convene, talks were ongoing among the G7 delegations about language in the draft statement.
European officials, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, were hoping to finalize a consensus among the leaders about the Middle East situation alongside the summit’s host, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
But Trump, who has questioned the utility of multilateral organizations like the G7, intends for now to withhold his signature, preventing for now a show of resolve from the world’s leading democracies.
“Under the strong leadership of President Trump, the United States is back to leading the effort to restore peace around the world. President Trump will continue to work towards ensuring Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon,” a White House official said in response to a question about Trump’s plans when it came to the joint statement.
A senior Canadian official said delegations representing the seven G7 leaders would continue to work on the language of the statement, and that European leaders in particular are still engaged in the hopes of reaching a consensus.
“This is not a done deal yet, this is something that will be discussed at the leader level. We expect that the bulk of that conversation will happen in the global security session this evening. It’s too early to speculate on what will or will not come out of that conversation,” the senior Canadian official said.
Trump told reporters Monday morning before the summit started that he believes Iran wishes to de-escalate its conflict with Israel as the skirmish between the two nations enters its fourth day.
“Yeah,” Trump told CNN when asked if he’s seen any signals or messages from intermediaries that Iran wishes to de-escalate the conflict.
“They’d like to talk, but they should have done that before. I had 60 days, and they had 60 days, and on the 61st day, I said, ‘We don’t have a deal.’ They have to make a deal, and it’s painful for both parties, but I’d say Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk, and they should talk immediately, before it’s too late,” he said as he met with Carney.
Trump issued a two-month ultimatum this spring for Iran to strike a nuclear deal or face consequences. On Friday — day 61 — Israel launched unprecedented strikes on Iran, targeting its nuclear program and military leaders.
The US president declined to say what, if anything, would prompt US military involvement in the conflict.
“I don’t want to talk about that,” he said, remaining vague when pressed on what intelligence the US is providing Israel.
Trump’s counterparts at the G7 planned to press the US leader on his strategy for dealing with Israel and Iran, officials from multiple delegations said, as the spiraling Middle East conflict shadows the first day of the summit.
It’s not clear to European officials what makes Trump confident that talks can continue, given the scale and scope of Israel’s attacks.
Given US influence over Israel, Trump’s fellow leaders want a clearer picture of how long the US intends to allow the conflict to continue, or whether Trump plans to apply pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to de-escalate, the officials said.
Already, a difference has emerged between Trump and Macron over a role for Russian President Vladimir Putin to play in mediating the conflict.
After a phone call with Putin this weekend, Trump said Sunday he believed the Russian leader could act as a mediator. But Macron dismissed the idea during a visit to Greenland, saying Moscow’s own violation of the UN Charter in Ukraine disqualified it from acting as a peace broker.
The two men’s differences over Putin were on full display Monday during Trump’s first public appearance at the G7, where he criticized of the bloc for ejecting Russia eleven years ago.
It was a combative opening to the president’s outing in Canada, where he will meet with fellow leaders for the next two days on a wide range of subjects.
“Barack Obama and a person named Trudeau didn’t want to have Russia in. And I would say that that was a mistake, because I think you wouldn’t have a war right now if you had Russia in,” Trump said during his meeting with Carney.
Russia was removed from the then-G8 after annexing Crimea in 2014. Justin Trudeau, whom Trump criticized repeatedly Monday for deciding to omit Russia, become prime minister a year later.
“They threw Russia out, which I claimed was a very big mistake, even though I wasn’t in politics,” Trump said. He said not having Putin at the table “makes life more complicated.”
When later asked about Putin joining, he said, “I’m not saying he should at this point, because too much water has gone over the dam.”
CNN’s DJ Judd and Paula Newton contributed to this story.
This is story has been updated with additional developments.
