By Kemi Osukoya | G7 & WORLD AFFAIRS
President Donald Trump will travel to France next week for the G7 Leaders’ Summit as his administration seeks to advance an agenda centered on trade, critical mineral security, artificial intelligence, and global economic competitiveness amid mounting geopolitical tensions and shifting alliances.
The gathering in Évian comes as governments confront wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, intensifying competition for strategic resources—critical minerals and rare earth and a growing race to dominate the technologies expected to define the next phase of global economic growth.
The administration is positioning the summit as an opportunity to reshape international discussions around economic development, moving away from traditional aid-based models toward investment partnerships designed to generate returns for both investors and recipient countries.
“We want to reframe development around mutually beneficial investment partnerships,” a senior administration official said ahead of the summit.
Trump is scheduled to arrive in France on Monday and begin the summit with a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron before joining fellow leaders for an official welcome dinner.
The Art of the Deal author arrives at the summit after securing what the White House describes as a breakthrough agreement in the U.S.-Iran peace agreement, bringing to a close a four-month war that began in February that has destabilized global energy markets, disrupted supply chains, and intensified economic pressures across emerging and developing countries.
Discussions over the following three days are expected to build on the peace agreement Memorandum of Understanding framework
A central priority for the U.S. will be strengthening supply-chain resilience, particularly for critical minerals that underpin advanced manufacturing, defense systems, electric vehicles and emerging technologies. The administration is expected to press G7 partners to coordinate efforts to diversify sourcing, reduce vulnerabilities and lessen dependence on strategic competitors.
The administration’s focus on critical minerals is expected to place renewed attention on Africa, which holds some of the world’s largest untapped reserves of cobalt, graphite, manganese, rare earths and other resources essential to electric vehicles, advanced manufacturing, defense systems and artificial intelligence infrastructure. As Western governments seek alternatives to concentrated supply chains and Chinese processing dominance, African producers are increasingly becoming central to economic security discussions among major powers.
Kenyan President William Ruto is among a select group of outreach leaders—Brazil, Egypt, India, Kenya, UAE, South Korea and Qatar invited to participate in summit discussions, underscoring the continent’s growing strategic importance in conversations around investment, energy transition and supply-chain resilience. While no formal bilateral meeting between Trump and Ruto has been announced, the summit could provide an opportunity for the two leaders to hold their first substantive conversation as Washington looks to deepen economic partnerships across Africa.
Officials also highlighted plans to discuss economic security, illegal migration and transnational drug trafficking, issues the White House increasingly views through the lens of national competitiveness and border security.
Artificial intelligence will feature prominently throughout the summit. Trump is expected to use the gathering to tout American leadership in AI development while advocating regulatory frameworks that encourage innovation and private-sector investment. Administration officials argued that America’s leadership position stems from its open-market system and entrepreneurial environment, emphasizing the need to maintain that advantage while addressing emerging security concerns.
A dedicated session involving G7 leaders, outreach partners and technology executives will focus on AI, innovation, and economic growth.
Although NATO is not a formal part of the G7 agenda, officials expect defense spending and transatlantic security commitments to surface repeatedly in discussions among leaders, especially relating to Ukraine.
Trump is scheduled to participate in a working session with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and fellow G7 leaders on Tuesday morning. While administration officials stopped short of announcing a dedicated bilateral meeting between Trump and Zelensky, they left open the possibility of discussions on the sidelines. The White House reiterated that ending the war in Ukraine remains a priority for the American President, while emphasizing Trump’s role as a potential mediator capable of bringing both sides to the negotiating table.
Middle East diplomacy is also expected to feature heavily on the sidelines of the summit. Trump is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the Emir of Qatar, the President of the United Arab Emirates and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as discussions continue over Gaza, Iran, regional security and post-conflict stabilization across the Middle East region.
Officials also pointed to ongoing maritime security concerns in the Strait of Hormuz, where international coordination could be required to restore normal shipping operations and safeguard global energy flows.
Trade is also expected to be one of the most closely watched issues at the summit.
The administration plans to use the G7 discussions to press its longstanding argument that the global trading system remains heavily distorted by persistent surpluses in countries such as China and, increasingly, the European Union. Officials said the issue has contributed to decades of manufacturing losses and industrial decline in the U.S.
While no bilateral meeting or major trade breakthrough is expected with Canada during the summit, officials confirmed ongoing discussions with Prime Minister Mark Carney‘s government, particularly following Canada’s recent rollback of a proposed digital services measure targeting U.S. technology companies.
Trump is also scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with both sides expected to review progress toward what could become the first comprehensive trade agreement between the U.S. and India. Officials said the negotiations has been intensive, with both sides seeking to expand cooperation across energy, manufacturing and agricultural sectors.
While officials said a final agreement is unlikely to be completed during the summit, they expressed optimism that negotiations could advance substantially in the coming weeks.
