By: Sonalika Singh, Research Analyst, GSDN
The G7 is an informal bloc of industrialized democracies, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom, that meets annually to discuss pressing global issues such as economic governance, international security, and, more recently, artificial intelligence (AI). Originally originated in 1975, when the United States, France, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and West Germany formed the Group of Six to coordinate their response to economic turmoil, including inflation and a recession caused by the OPEC oil embargo. Canada joined in 1976, and Cold War politics soon became part of the group’s agenda.
The European Union has participated fully in G7 meetings since 1981 as a “nonremunerated” member, represented by the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission. While there are no formal membership criteria, all G7 members are high-income democracies. As of 2025, the combined GDP of the G7 countries (excluding the EU) were approximately 44% of global nominal GDP and approximately 10% of the world’s population.
Unlike organizations such as the United Nations or NATO, the G7 is not a formal institution. It lacks a charter and a permanent secretariat. The rotating presidency sets each year’s agenda and manages summit logistics. Policy development is coordinated in advance through meetings of ministers and envoys known as sherpas. Nonmember countries are sometimes invited to attend.
The G7’s future has faced growing challenges, particularly due to tensions with Russia, formerly a member from 1998 until its suspension in 2014 following the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region and increasingly with China. Internal disagreements over trade and climate policies have also tested the group’s cohesion. Nonetheless, shared concerns about Moscow and Beijing have fostered renewed unity. In a sign of closer cooperation, the G7 has coordinated sanctions against Russia in response to its war in Ukraine and launched a major global infrastructure investment initiative to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Russia joined the G7 in 1998, transforming it into the G8. Then U.S. President Bill Clinton believed that membership would grant Russia international legitimacy and encourage its post-Soviet leader, Boris Yeltsin, to align more closely with Western democracies. Clinton also hoped it would ease Russia’s concerns over NATO’s expansion into Eastern Europe.
However, the move sparked concerns particularly among finance ministries due to Russia’s weak economy and high public debt. Over time, Russia’s drift toward authoritarianism under President Vladimir Putin led to growing tensions with G7 members. The turning point came in 2014, when Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea region. In response, it was indefinitely suspended from the group. Relations further deteriorated over Russia’s support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad especially after chemical attacks attributed to Assad’s forces and over interference in U.S. and European elections.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 significantly deepened its international isolation, prompting the G7 countries to impose unprecedented sanctions, including phasing out imports of Russian oil and gas, barring Russian banks from transacting in U.S. dollars and euros, and implementing export controls aimed at weakening Russia’s military capabilities.
Additionally, G7 members have provided substantial financial and military support to Ukraine, collectively contributing hundreds of billions of dollars. In 2025, they also agreed to loan Ukraine $50 billion, using windfall profits from frozen Russian assets as collateral.
The 51st G7 Summit the group’s 57th annual meeting was held from June 15 to 17, 2025, in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada. It was the second summit hosted in Kananaskis since the 28th G8 Summit in 2002 and the seventh overall to be held in Canada. Canada previously hosted six G7 summits and joined the group in 1976, alongside France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, to coordinate responses to global economic and political crises. The European Union was invited to participate starting in 1977.
Canada assumed the presidency of the G7 for the seventh time on January 1, 2025, and is hosting the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15 to 17, 2025. This high-level event provides an opportunity for G7 member countries and invited guests to discuss some of the world’s most urgent challenges, including international peace and security, global economic stability, and the ongoing digital transition. Canada’s presidency is centered around three main priorities: protecting communities both at home and abroad, building energy security while accelerating the digital transition, and securing long-term, future-focused partnerships.
The G7 is a consensus-based grouping that operates without a formal treaty or permanent secretariat. The G7 presidency rotates annually among the seven member countries in the following order: France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada, with the European Union participating fully but not holding the rotating presidency. Each year, the presiding country sets the G7’s priorities and organizes the Leaders’ Summit, as well as ministerial meetings and related events. The number and type of these ministerial meetings are determined by the host country, and they typically conclude with joint communiqués or action plans. Although the annual summit and ministerial meetings are the most prominent events, the G7 operates continuously throughout the year. Leaders and ministers often convene additional meetings in response to urgent global crises, while expert groups and working-level officials meet regularly to implement commitments made at the high-level meetings.
Independent, non-governmental stakeholder groups known as G7 engagement groups also contribute to the G7 process by submitting annual policy recommendations. These groups often organize their own summits in the months leading up to the G7 Leaders’ Summit. The engagement groups represent various sectors of society, including business, civil society, labor, science, think tanks, women, and youth.
Mark Carney chaired the 51st G7 summit. The 2025 summit marked the first such meetings for European Council President António Costa, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and it was the first G7 summit for U.S. President Donald Trump since the 45th meeting in 2019. It was also the first visit to Canada for Prime Ministers Starmer, Ishiba, Chancellor Merz, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and South Korean President Lee Jae‑myung, while President Trump made his second visit since the 44th G7 summit in 2018.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were attending Canada for the third time. In May, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was invited and later confirmed that attending remained “a possibility,” and on May 30 Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received an invitation and was expected to attend. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia was invited in June but ultimately declined to participate. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto initially accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Carney but announced on June 12 that he would skip the summit to meet Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Russian President Vladimir Putin instead.
The core G7 members at the summit included host Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba of Japan, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom, President Donald Trump of the United States, European Council President António Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Invited leaders included Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, South Korean President Lee Jae‑myung, and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. Representatives from NATO, the United Nations, and the World Bank, Mark Rutte, António Guterres, and Ajay Banga, respectively also attended.
Although not a formal member of the G7, India is increasingly recognized as a powerful and influential global player. Since 2003, India has been regularly invited to participate in G7 Summits as an outreach partner, reflecting its rising economic and geopolitical importance.India has attended outreach sessions at the G7 Summit more than eleven times and has received invitations every year since 2019. This consistent engagement highlights India’s position as the world’s fifth-largest economy and a leading voice for the Global South on critical global issues such as climate change, energy security, and sustainable economic development.
The Canadian Prime Minister’s Office released an event schedule noting that the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting took place in Charlevoix, Quebec, from March 12 to 14, 2025, the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ gathering was held in Banff, Alberta, from May 20 to 22, 2025, and the Leaders’ Summit occurred in Kananaskis Village, Alberta, from June 15 to 17, 2025. During the Charlevoix meeting on March 13, the G7 foreign ministers reached agreements on Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and security, regional stability in the Middle East, enhanced security in the Indo-Pacific, resilience-building in Haiti and Venezuela, support for peace in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and reinforcing sanctions while combating hybrid warfare and sabotage.
On June 14, Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer met in Ottawa, where Starmer remarked en route that “Canada is an independent, sovereign country and a much‑valued member of the Commonwealth” in response to President Trump’s joking threats to annex Canada as the 51st state. That evening, the two leaders dined at Rideau Cottage and watched an NHL game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers. They agreed to establish an Economic and Trade Working Group, deepen the Trade Continuity Agreement, and Carney pledged that Canada would ratify the UK’s accession to the CPTPP. This meeting also marked the first conversation between the two leaders since Israel’s strikes on Iran, which had sparked a diplomatic push led by Starmer aimed at de‑escalating the Middle East crisis.
President Trump met with Chancellor Merz on June 16 but later stated he needed to leave early to manage the U.S. response to the Iran–Israel war, leading him to skip some scheduled meetings. On that same day, G7 leaders issued a joint statement affirming that “Israel has a right to defend itself,” reiterating their support for Israel’s security, and declaring that they regard Iran as “the principal source of regional instability and terror.”
Member nations announced several key outcomes and initiatives, one of the major agreements was the adoption of the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter, which aligns with the commitments outlined in the 2021 Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use to halt and reverse global deforestation and land degradation by 2030. The Charter was notably endorsed by India.
The G7 also launched the Critical Minerals Action Plan, building upon the Five-Point Plan for Critical Minerals Security established during Japan’s G7 Presidency in 2023. India likewise endorsed this new plan, reflecting growing cooperation on resource security beyond the G7. In addition, G7 leaders committed to strengthening the World Bank-led Resilient and Inclusive Supply Chain Enhancement (RISE) Partnership, aiming to bolster global supply chain resilience through coordinated investment and collaboration.
The summit included a strong condemnation of transnational repression (TNR), defined as efforts by states or their proxies to intimidate, harass, harm, or coerce individuals and communities outside their national borders. Leaders emphasized that such actions represent a form of foreign interference and must be countered collectively. The G7 also reaffirmed its commitment to prevent and counter migrant smuggling, through the G7 Coalition to Prevent and Counter the Smuggling of Migrants and the 2024 G7 Action Plan addressing this global challenge.
As the 2025 G7 President, Canada launched the G7 GovAI Grand Challenge and announced the creation of a series of “Rapid Solution Labs” aimed at developing innovative, scalable solutions to support the adoption of artificial intelligence in the public sector.Finally, the G7 pledged to work toward closing the global digital divide, aligning their efforts with the objectives of the United Nations Global Digital Compact, and reaffirming their commitment to equitable digital transformation worldwide.
The G7 Summit serves as a vital platform for India to strengthen diplomatic relations, advocate for the interests of the Global South, and contribute to shaping global economic, security, and technological policies. The next milestone,the 52nd G7 Summit, scheduled for June 2026 in Évian-les-Bains, France will test whether this cautious rebuilding of consensus can lead to sustained, long-term cooperation.
“In Kananaskis, Canada’s Presidency showed that we’re ready to create new international partnerships, deepen alliances, and lead member nations into a new era of global co-operation. Canada has the resources the world wants and the values to which others aspire. Canada is meeting this moment with purpose and strength” stated The Rt. Hon. Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada.
