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President Donald Trump is expected to discuss mine-clearing efforts in the Strait of Hormuz and hold talks with key Middle Eastern leaders during the G7 summit.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump is expected to use next week’s Group of Seven summit to press diplomatic efforts aimed atvclearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz after months of disruption to one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes.
The G7 summit is scheduled for June 15-17 in Evian, France. Trump’s agenda includes meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and the leaders of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and India, according to the senior administration official.
The Strait of Hormuz, located off Iran, has been largely closed to shipping during the war. The waterway is a critical route for oil, natural gas and fertilizer shipments from the Persian Gulf. Iran has effectively controlled the strait since shortly after the conflict began, while the United States has blockaded Iranian ports in response.
It was not immediately clear how many mines are in the strait. Britain and France, both G7 members, have expressed interest in helping clear the waterway once the fighting is paused. The senior U.S. official said both countries have military vessels at sea that could take part in the operation.
Trump will also participate Tuesday in a G7 working session with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, though no formal bilateral meeting between the two leaders is currently scheduled.
“On Tuesday morning, President Trump will participate in a working session with G7 leaders and President Zelenskyy of Ukraine,” the senior administration official told reporters.
The official said Trump and Zelenskyy could still speak informally during the summit.
“Obviously, President Zelenskyy is gonna be at the session that we’re doing. They very well may meet with each other on the sidelines,” the official said, while emphasizing that a scheduled one-on-one meeting is not on Trump’s agenda.
The administration official said Trump is the “only” world leader capable of ending the war between Russia and Ukraine but did not provide further details.
Trump has shifted much of his attention away from the Russia-Ukraine war since the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered the latest Middle East conflict. The war between Russia and Ukraine remains unresolved, while the Iran conflict has remained under a tenuous ceasefire since April.
After the G7 summit concludes, Trump is scheduled to dine Wednesday evening with Macron at the Palace of Versailles west of Paris. Macron’s office said the dinner will mark the 250th anniversary of American independence at a “landmark of Franco-American friendship where the treaty establishing the independence of the United States was signed in 1783.”
NATO issues are also expected to loom over the gathering, with several alliance leaders represented in France. The U.S. official sought to downplay reports of strain between Trump and NATO allies over Washington’s commitment to the alliance.
“When we have private conversations with the governments of our NATO allies … it’s a very easy conversation. It’s not at all as its kind of hysterically presented in the press,” the official said.
“We are very happy with the some of the burden-shifting that’s going on, and we need to see more of it.”
Trade is also expected to be a major focus. Another U.S. official praised France for putting trade imbalances on the G7 agenda, an issue central to Trump’s economic policy as he pursues aggressive import tariffs affecting both allies and adversaries.
The White House said Trump also plans to discuss artificial intelligence, immigration, innovation and energy with other leaders.
The G7 includes Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom. Trump has also advocated bringing Russia back into the group, which would restore the former G8 format.
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