Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada began by wishing President Trump a happy birthday. He emphasized the importance of U.S. leadership in the Group of 7 alliance, which is meeting in Alberta, Canada.
But after seven minutes of questioning by journalists during which Mr. Trump complained about Russia’s absence at the summit and attacked Democrats over immigration policies, the host of the summit had heard enough.
He took a step forward and into the center of the frame and effectively stopped the questioning, preventing the American president from saying more.
With war raging in the Middle East and U.S. tariffs hammering his own country’s economy as well as global trade, Mr. Carney was intent on limiting the chances of a Trump-related derailment of the gathering.
“If you don’t mind, I’m going to exercise my role, if you will, as G7 chair, since we have a few more minutes with the president and his team and then we actually have to start the meeting to address some of these big issues,” Mr. Carney said. “So, merci beaucoup.”
With that, the press was rapidly escorted out of the room.
The brief moment at the start of the gathering provided a window into a daunting challenge for world leaders entering the summit: Just what is the best way to manage Mr. Trump on the global stage?
The newly elected prime minister of Canada deployed a balancing act between flattery and discipline.
Mr. Carney is a former banker who is famously obsessed with keeping time and running efficient meetings.
He is also loath to have the Group of 7 summit he is presiding over descend into acrimony the way it did when his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, last hosted it in Canada in 2018, crossing Mr. Trump and resulting in a spectacular falling out.
The stakes on Monday were high. The new Canadian prime minister is in the middle of a monthslong effort to persuade Mr. Trump to remove tariffs on Canada, America’s second-largest trading partner, and put together a new trade deal.
And, as he met Mr. Trump, Mr. Carney had five other global leaders waiting for the summit to kick into high gear with the hopes of keeping the group as united as possible on the numerous topics at hand.
Mr. Trump’s aides argued that foreign leaders were scrambling to get time with the American president. One reason could be that the international community is looking for certainty when it comes to dealing with the United States on trade. Mr. Trump has also imposed tariffs on each of the other Group of 7 member nations, something that foreign policy experts said had cast a shadow over the summit before it even began.
Josh Lipsky, the senior director for the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center, summed up the mood at the summit.
“Is it tense?” he said. “Yes. Is it awkward? Yes.”
He added: “The vibe would be best described as, ‘Let’s just get through this.’ Everyone is there and everyone doesn’t want a major dust-up.”
Mr. Carney’s attempt to curtail Mr. Trump in a polite yet pointed way was also notable given that most world leaders have largely resorted to the art of flattery to contain the American president’s impulses.
Many world leaders have elected to court rather than challenge Mr. Trump on his viewpoints. When the Japanese prime minister visited Mr. Trump in the Oval Office this year, he complimented Mr. Trump’s performance on television. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel showered him with compliments when he visited Washington.
Mr. Carney’s handling of Mr. Trump on Monday was an evolution of his meeting with him in the Oval Office in May, when he chose to stroke Mr. Trump’s ego while also firmly pushing back on the president’s threats to annex Canada.
His approach so far has offered mixed results.
While Mr. Carney was able to have a lengthy talk with Mr. Trump about U.S.-Canada trade on Monday, no deal materialized.
And, just hours into the summit, it was evident that the White House was keeping a healthy distance from the group.
Mr. Trump’s aides made it clear that he does not plan on signing onto a statement calling for de-escalation between Iran and Israel that was drafted by the other six Group of 7 nations, as well as the European Union.
Still, with the first day of the Group of 7 coming to a close in Kananaskis, Alberta, Trump-related drama appeared to have been largely avoided. And Mr. Carney did secure U.S. backing on two other issues being discussed, cooperation on artificial intelligence and critical minerals.
Mr. Trump, however, did bring a dramatic twist to the Group of 7 leaders’ summit — just not the one Mr. Carney and others had been fearing.
“They want to make a deal,” Mr. Trump said when asked about potential U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict. “And as soon as I leave here, we’re going to be doing something. But I have to leave here.”
Late in the afternoon, the White House announced that the president would return to Washington on Monday evening, cutting his trip to Canada short, citing the situation in the Middle East.
Matina Stevis-Gridneff is the Canada bureau chief for The Times, leading coverage of the country.
Zolan Kanno-Youngs is a White House correspondent for The Times, covering President Trump and his administration.
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