White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed during a briefing that President Donald Trump will attend the G7 leaders’ summit in Canada next month.Trump will be in Canada from June 15 to 17.Leavitt said further details regarding Trump's visit will be announced shortly..It comes as G7 finance ministers wrapped up a prequel to the main event in Banff this week.Despite calls to become the fifty-first State, Canada has emerged as a mediator of last resort in what observers are calling an "economic cold war" among the world’s top industrial powers at a tense gathering of G7 finance ministers in Banff this week. The source of the friction? The United States’ expanding web of trade disputes — with virtually every other country at the table.Despite the backdrop of deep economic discord, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne declared the talks a success on Thursday, highlighting a joint communiqué as a “proof of unity” that many feared would be impossible. .The Banff meeting, a precursor to next month’s full-scale G7 leaders’ summit in Kananaskis, was marked by Canada’s quiet diplomacy and a balancing act between President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies and global collaboration Canada is known for.“There’s a sense of solidarity emerging,” Champagne told reporters. “We’ve gone back to basics — common ground on Ukraine, financial crime, and the economic risks of artificial intelligence.”But beneath the surface, tensions remain raw. American Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, representing an administration increasingly reliant on tariffs and protectionist measures, faced a cool reception from counterparts who worry Washington is undermining the very system of rules-based trade it helped build..While the joint communiqué emphasized cooperation and economic resilience, it notably avoided any mention of tariffs despite widespread concern about the United States’ confrontational trade stance. From the European Union to Japan, most G7 nations have found themselves caught in US trade crosshairs in recent months as American tariffs on steel, electric vehicles, and digital services spark retaliatory countermeasures and diplomatic pushback.Now, all eyes turn to the upcoming G7 leaders’ summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, where former President Donald Trump on Thursday officially confirmed his intention to attend his first appearance at a multilateral forum since launching his re-election bid last year.No surprise, Trump’s presence is expected to dominate the summit’s agenda..His renewed calls for "America First" economics and a global oil price war with Saudi Arabia are already sending shockwaves through markets. Diplomats worry that his return to the G7 stage could derail fragile consensus on issues ranging from climate financing to global debt relief.Yet amid the turmoil, Canada has stepped up as a broker of compromise. The Banff communiqué featured progress on coordinated action against financial crime, a reaffirmed commitment to supporting Ukraine, and cautious steps toward assessing risks posed by artificial intelligence to financial systems..SHOCKING: Honda halts taxpayer funded $15B EV project in Ontario in face of Trump tariffs .UPDATED: Carney, Trump trade barbs, talk tariffs in first face‑to‑face at the White House.Crucially, the ministers agreed on the need to address “non-market policies and practices” and committed to deeper collaboration on economic resilience and supply chain security — all issues where Canada’s middle-power diplomacy plays well.“There’s a recognition that Canada is uniquely positioned to speak both languages,” said one senior G7 official. “Ottawa understands Washington’s concerns but also appreciates the importance of multilateral order.”Still, the path ahead is rocky. As trade disputes escalate and economic nationalism gains ground, even Canada’s consensus-driven approach may face limits..Carney, Trump meet at White House over tariffs, 51st state controversy.White House tariff waffling fuels market rally; creates (even more) uncertainty for Canadian oil sector.With Kananaskis now in focus, the question remains: can Canada help steer the G7 back toward cohesion or will Trump’s return to the world stage push the group further apart? Either way, the coming summit is shaping up not just as a meeting of allies, but as a test of whether the world’s top democracies can still work together in an age of fractured globalization.
