CANADA PERSPECTIVE

Ottawa, June 15, 2026. Canada arrives at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains with a clear roadmap and an explicit ambition: to reinvent multilateralism at a time when Washington sets the terms. Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking at Trinity College Dublin during a six-day European tour, captured the stakes in a single phrase: "the strands of a new world order could be woven" at Evian. His remarks echo comments made in January at Davos, where Carney called on middle powers to unite against the dominance of great powers.

The expanded format of the summit—bringing together the traditional G7 members plus representatives from Kenya, Brazil, Egypt, India, and Gulf states—is framed by Ottawa as a strategic gain. "This is recognition that the G7, if it ever claimed to lead the world, no longer does," Carney stated. These invited partners will provide, in his view, "a broader perspective and an additional element to the solution."

On Iran, Canadian outlets reported in detail on Donald Trump's Saturday announcement via Truth Social: an agreement with Tehran appears imminent, providing for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. Trump described the deal as "a wall against nuclear weapons" and asserted that no financial transfers would occur, unlike the 2015 accord. An anonymous US official, cited by the Financial Post and Global News, confirmed that other G7 members could take action once a deal with Iran is finalized. The Strait of Hormuz, closed since the outbreak of hostilities, has triggered a global energy shock, soaring fuel prices, and increased market volatility.

On Ukraine, Canadian media noted that Putin and Zelensky both called Trump on Sunday, the day before the summit opened. According to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, Trump stressed the need to end hostilities and signaled readiness to pressure European allies and Kyiv. Zelensky, for his part, described his conversation with Trump as "wonderful."

Artificial intelligence also ranks high on Canada's summit agenda. Carney stressed the urgency of common regulation: "The importance of sharing defenses, having common standards, not releasing models with that power before others are ready—this is imperative." The Financial Post also reported that Macron, hosting the summit, is betting on the G7 to solidify France's position as an AI power, after convincing SoftBank to invest up to 75 billion euros in French projects.

On the margins of the summit, thousands of protesters gathered in Geneva on Sunday—environmentalists, Palestinian rights advocates, opponents of economic imperialism—echoing demonstrations from 2003 during a previous G7 in Evian. Swiss and French authorities mobilized thousands of police and restricted border crossings to seven of thirty-five existing routes.