As expected, the main topic of discussion at the G7 summit held in France was the Russia-Ukraine war. The leaders of the "Group of Seven" emphasized the importance of tightening sanctions against Russia. Interestingly, US President Donald Trump, who is in favor of dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, did not oppose increasing pressure on Moscow. In this regard, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was pleased with the outcomes of the summit.
The agreement to further strengthen Ukraine’s air defense can be considered an important result of the summit. The main issue now is to ensure the implementation of this agreement in a short time.
Leaders of countries partnering with the G7 members were also invited to the meeting. French President Emmanuel Macron planned to invite Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the summit. However, this required a joint decision from the G7. The participation of China at the summit was unacceptable for Japan, a G7 member. On the other hand, even if the Chinese leader had been invited to the discussions in France, it was difficult to say he would have attended the summit because the Chinese leader would not participate in discussions against Russia at the summit. Additionally, the rules for exploiting rare earth elements were determined at the summit in France. It is well known that China holds approximately 70% of the world’s rare earth elements and has significantly restricted their export. For this reason, the G7 is seeking alternative sources to reduce dependence on China. The G7 has decided to expand cooperation in the exploitation of rare earth elements.
US President Donald Trump took the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings in France. One of these was with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was also invited to the summit. After Trump was elected president, he was remembered for criticizing India’s policies. However, this time the White House host positively assessed the talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At a joint press conference, Trump even stated that if India is attacked, Washington is ready to provide comprehensive support to New Delhi.
The two leaders also discussed the situation around the Strait of Hormuz. The issue is that India was one of the countries suffering from the Strait of Hormuz being under fire. Indian sailors were killed as a result of the clashes in this strait. Additionally, the oil-filled tankers intended for India were stuck in the strait. Therefore, the Washington-Tehran agreement is important for India.
However, even if the strait reopens soon, stabilizing the global supply of oil and gas could take months. Despite Trump praising New Delhi’s policies, there is a need to sign a trade agreement between the two countries. Although Trump said they are close to an agreement, the negotiations that began in February this year have not yet been concluded.
Elkhan Shahinoglu,
political analyst