Context:

As Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visits the White House, a crucial question is whether President Trump will attend the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta, Canada. This meeting offers Carney an opportunity to address deteriorating US-Canada relations, largely due to Trump's trade policies and sovereignty threats, which influenced Carney's election victory. Trump, who has been non-committal about attending the G7, continues to impose tariffs on Canadian exports, complicating the trade discussions expected during their meeting. Despite Trump's previous mockery of former Prime Minister Trudeau, he seems to have a more amicable relationship with Carney, although tensions remain over issues like Trump's suggestion of annexing Canada. Carney's invitation to Ukrainian President Zelensky for the G7, while potentially contentious due to Trump's past clashes with Zelensky, is seen as a necessary step towards coordinating a response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Dive Deeper:

• President Trump has yet to decide on attending the G7 summit in Alberta, Canada, hosted by Prime Minister Mark Carney, with US officials indicating no final decision has been made. Traditionally, American presidents attend this annual conference of advanced economies, and skipping it could signal a significant move away from the traditional alliance system.

• Carney's meeting with Trump aims to discuss the G7 and various cross-border issues that have strained US-Canada relations since Trump's presidency began. The Canadian official emphasized the importance of a successful G7 summit with all members present, while acknowledging the meeting as a critical gauge of Trump's attendance likelihood.

• Trump's trade policies and sovereignty threats have been pivotal issues in Canadian politics, influencing Carney's Liberal Party victory. Carney views the Trump era as a departure from previous US-Canada relations and advocates for reassessing trade and security ties in light of challenges from the White House.

• Despite a history of tension, Carney appears to have a less contentious relationship with Trump compared to former Prime Minister Trudeau, whom Trump mocked. Trump has expressed a desire for new trade deals, although tariffs on Canadian exports remain a point of contention likely to dominate the meeting.

• Carney invited King Charles III to Canada as a demonstration of the country's sovereignty, counterbalancing Trump's territorial aspirations. Additionally, Carney has extended an invitation to Ukrainian President Zelensky to the G7 summit, aiming to foster a coordinated response to the Ukraine conflict, despite potential friction with Trump.

• US officials report that while Trump is preparing for possible G7 attendance, he is more focused on increasing domestic travel, expressing skepticism about the necessity of G7 summits. His previous attendance at the G7 in 2018 ended in discord, and he questioned the need for his participation in subsequent summits.

• Trump's administration has not yet decided on his attendance at the NATO summit in The Hague, although discussions with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte have occurred. Trump's past G7 experience, marked by disagreements and his proposal to readmit Russia, suggests this year's summit could also be contentious.