Donald Trump’s early departure did not derail the G7, summit host Mark Carney insisted.
The Canadian Prime Minister said he understood why the US President wanted to return to Washington in order to focus on the Middle East conflict.
He spoke as the gathering of world leaders in the mountain resort of Kananaskis finished without the traditional communiqué or an agreed statement on Ukraine.
Asked at his closing press conference on Tuesday evening what it said for the G7 that Mr Trump decided to leave, Mr Carney replied that the President had an ‘extraordinary’ military crisis to manage.
‘There was no problem,’ he insisted.
‘Mr Trump felt it was better to be in Washington, and I can understand that.’
The Canadian PM was also challenged on why there had not been a joint statement on Ukraine signed by all seven leaders even though it had been one of the key topics of discussion and the war-torn country’s President Volodymyr Zelensky had been invited to attend.
Sources have claimed that the US opposed a joint statement on Ukraine while it tries to get Russia to agree to peace negotiations, while Mr Trump avoided meeting Mr Zelensky by leaving early.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney leaves the closing press conference at the end of the G7 summit he hosted in the mountain resort of Kananaskis, Alberta
The group of western heads of state and government became the G6 after Donald Trump left
The full G7 line-up before the US President’s abrupt departure on Monday evening
Sir Keir Starmer stoops to pick up the transatlantic trade deal papers dropped by Donald Trump
But Mr Carney – who has clashed with Mr Trump over tariffs and his desire for Canada to become the 51st state – insisted ‘nothing’ had happened with the US to prevent an agreement, saying ‘this was discussed by all seven leaders’.
He pointed out that his ‘chair’s summary’ at the end of the event stated: ‘G7 Leaders expressed support for President Trump’s efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.’
‘The language that’s in my declaration, directly with President Trump, no adjustments, no adjustments from my fellow leaders,’ Mr Carney said.
Despite only attending the summit for a day, Mr Trump dominated the proceedings.
He signed his trade deal with Sir Keir Starmer – but then dropped the documents on the floor and left the Prime Minister scrambling to pick them up.
Mr Trump also raised eyebrows as soon as he arrived on Monday by saying it had been a mistake to remove Russia from what was the G8 a decade ago, and said it was ‘not a bad idea’ to add China to the group.
