President Donald Trump said Friday that he will probably attend next month’s Group of Seven leaders' summit in France, responding "Probably" when asked at the White House whether he would join the assembly of officials from the world’s largest economies.
The summit is set to take place in Évian-les-Bains in southeastern France from June 15-17. The gathering arrives at a moment of heightened friction between the United States and several of its G-7 partners, largely tied to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and separate trade disputes.
According to comments and actions cited by the administration, other countries in the grouping have not followed the United States' calls to support U.S. actions against Iran or to help reopen the largely shuttered Strait of Hormuz. Those strains have been reflected in public criticism from the president directed at several G-7 members, including the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany. Trump has also threatened to reduce the number of U.S. troops stationed in certain European countries.
Trade tensions are another source of friction ahead of the meeting. On Friday the president announced he would increase tariffs on car and truck imports from the European Union, a step that the article says has raised concerns about whether the EU will fully ratify an agreement with the United States.
Tensions between Washington and Paris have also been on display. The president has clashed with French President Emmanuel Macron, who last month urged medium-sized powers to coordinate more closely and to stand up to both the United States and China. As this year’s G-7 host, the French leader is expected to emphasize that message during the summit.
With leaders due to gather in mid-June, the meeting will take place against a backdrop of diplomatic and economic disagreements that have complicated relations among the world’s wealthiest democracies. The president’s brief reply that he will "Probably" attend leaves the final decision publicly unresolved ahead of the scheduled dates.