Trump’s beefing with allies goes under microscope at G7

President Trump is slated to come face-to-face with traditional U.S. allies next week as the Group of Seven (G7) nations convene in Évian-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie, France, amid simmering tensions between the U.S. leader and a number of member nations. 

It’s been just a year since Trump abruptly left last year’s meeting in Alberta, Canada, saying he needed to head back to Washington to deal with the Israel-Iran conflict. 

Now Trump finds himself in direct conflict with the Islamic Republic, which has become a source of tension with other G7 member countries whose consumers are facing higher energy prices as a result of the war.

The summit also comes shortly after the U.S. said it would reduce aircraft and warships it would provide in a security crisis impacting Europe, providing another source of tension. 

Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron have enjoyed what many have referred to as a bromance in recent years, with Macron seeking Trump’s favor through a charm offensive during his first administration.

The French leader hosted his U.S. counterpart during France’s 2017 Bastille Day celebrations, while Trump hosted Macron for a state visit to the White House one year later. 

Macron told Vanity Fair in 2018 that he “developed trust and respect” for Trump and that the two leaders talked on the phone on a regular basis. However, the relationship has since turned publicly frosty, with the two leaders trading barbs over a number of issues. 

Last year, Macron slammed Trump’s 20 percent tariffs on the European Union as “brutal and unfounded.” He also pleaded with Trump to back down from his push to acquire Greenland, according to a private text message between the two leaders that Trump publicly shared in January. 

Trump’s and Macron’s approaches to the war in Ukraine also differ.

Macron has joined forces with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to form a “coalition of the willing” aimed at supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia. Trump has taken a more neutral approach and has been criticized by some in Europe for doing so, as Paris and London see Russia, not Ukraine, as the instigator of the conflict.

The U.S. war in Iran stands to be one of the biggest points of contention between the two leaders.

Trump has publicly berated Macron and other U.S. allies for not doing more to assist the U.S. in helping reopen the Strait of Hormuz. 

Trump said at a private event in April that Macron’s wife “treats him........

© The Hill