Leaders of some of the world’s most powerful countries are meeting on the south shore of Lake Geneva through Wednesday for the Group of 7 summit, which brings together Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.
So what exactly is the G7, and why does it matter?
The nations belonging to the club are traditionally the world’s wealthiest large democracies — close allies and major trading partners that account for a substantial slice of the global economy.
The countries meet regularly to discuss economic issues and major international policies, and when they agree, they can wield enormous collective influence. But many European leaders no longer see the United States as an automatic partner on key issues.
This year’s gathering is hosted by France, which currently holds the group’s presidency. The summit is in the Alpine spa town of Évian-les-Bains. Other attendees include officials from the European Union and from several guest nations: Brazil, Egypt, India, Kenya and South Korea.
The group, whose origins go back to the 1973 oil crisis, grew out of an informal gathering of finance ministers from Britain, the United States, France, Japan and what was then West Germany — initially known as the Big Five — as they tried to agree on a way forward.
Since the 1970s, the group and its later additional members have met dozens of times to work on issues that affect the international economy, security, trade, equality and climate change. In 2015, its summit paved the way for the Paris agreement to limit global emissions, which was decided later that year. This is the 52nd meeting of its kind.
For a time, the group had eight members — remember the G8? — but Russia, always something of an outlier, was kicked out in 2014 amid international condemnation of President Vladimir V. Putin’s annexation of Crimea. Last year, President Trump renewed his call for Russia to be reinstated.
At this year’s summit, the wars in Iran and Ukraine are expected to top the agenda, with U.S. allies watching to see whether Mr. Trump is in a collaborative mood after tense meetings in 2025 and in 2018.
The United States and Iran have announced a preliminary agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which much oil and natural gas is usually shipped, and to continue negotiations. But their conflict still looked likely to dominate the summit. The strait’s reopening would be a big relief for the Europeans, whose economies have been strained by the disruption to oil and gas shipments. European nations have promised to deploy ships to help secure the waterway if it becomes clear that the cease-fire will hold.
European leaders also hope to rekindle Mr. Trump’s interest in engaging with Russia on a peace settlement in Ukraine. Mr. Zelensky will be at the summit, and he and Mr. Trump will both attend a working session on Tuesday.
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