RECAP | Carney says G7 held 'very frank exchanges' as summit ends, following early exits by Trump, Zelenskyy

The summit unfolded in the middle of intensifying conflict — between Iran and Israel and between Russia and Ukraine — and despite the heaviness, everyone seemed to get along.

There were early departures of some key players — Trump and Zelenskyy — who did not have the meeting for which the latter had hoped. And though Ukraine was not featured in any of the seven new joint statements, Canada granted it more than $4 billion in new aid.

Carney, the G7 chair and host of the 2025 summit, seemed pleased in his closing remarks, touting a "new era of co-operation.”

The leaders and other invited dignitaries discussed issues including defence spending, border security and artificial intelligence. Climate change was not featured prominently, though Carney met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres — who once made him a special envoy on the matter — and discussed the topic with French President Emmanuel Macron.

It wasn't just the G7 countries who were at the table. Today, the leaders of Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, India, Australia and Ukraine were present. Some were controversial: Namely, India’s Modi, who drew protests in Calgary and Banff.

All of that was set against the backdrop of the picturesque mountains of Kananaskis.

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On the issue of trade and tariffs, Carney also demurred.

Earlier, Trump had characterized Carney’s plan to end the trade dispute as “complex.” When I asked the prime minister about that, he didn’t take the bait.

“Complexity is in the eye of the beholder,” he said with a smile, while acknowledging Canada’s solution is brokering some sort of broader deal that will address both the bilateral trading relationship but also security and defence matters. That’s what Trump could be calling “complex.”

Does that mean Canada will sign on to Trump’s proposed multibillion-dollar Golden Dome missile defence system to appease him? Carney says Canada is looking at the proposal.

Carney said Trump never raised the 51st state taunts during their private discussions this week, offering a simple “no” this evening, in response to a reporter’s question. “You’re a bit disappointed, it seems,” Carney said with a chuckle.

In the end, Carney is leaving Kananaskis with something Trudeau didn’t have after his summit: a seemingly positive relationship with Trump, and a U.S. commitment to try and bring this punishing trade dispute to a close quickly.

The clock is ticking on the self-imposed deadline to reach a deal: There are just 29 days left.

Prime Minister Carney has just wrapped up this G7 summit with a closing press conference — and it was clear throughout he wanted to avoid what befell his predecessor the last time Canada hosted one of these events.

Justin Trudeau made a supposedly critical remark about Trump at the 2018 summit in Charlevoix, Que., which prompted a series of angry tweets, derailing the final hours of the meeting and the push for a G7 consensus on critical issues of the day.

The clearest sign of Carney’s reluctance to be overly critical of Trump and avoid Trudeau’s fate came on the question of a joint G7 statement on Ukraine.

A senior Canadian official had briefed reporters earlier Tuesday that such a statement was planned, but was dropped after the Americans wanted some of the tough language about Russia watered down out of fear it could torpedo their push to negotiate an end to that war.

Asked Tuesday night about the situation, Carney denied Trump was offside the other leaders on the issue — even saying Trump is a willing partner in pushing back against Russian aggression.

“Listen, I was there. I’m the chair of the G7 summit,” Carney said at point after facing some reporter pushback over the differing descriptions of what went down.

“I was there with President Trump and we discussed every word in that summary,” he said, referring to a separate so-called chair’s statement that Carney personally released tonight. That statement called for maximizing pressure on Russia, including through financial sanctions.

However, Carney did concede that the other countries would have gone further still if it were up to them — but it was a comment made with no derision.

Before their bilateral meeting, Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum held a customary photo op. But Sheinbaum came equipped with a gift.

It's no secret Carney is a big soccer — or football, or fútbol — fan. Sheinbaum offered him a soccer ball decorated with Indigenous Huichol bead art. Similar beading adorned the blazer she was wearing, as well.

It was a light moment in what's been an intense 48 hours. And it was between two leaders who share a similar trade predicament with the country that lies between them.

At the end of his news conference, Carney did something he rarely does: he added one last thought that wasn’t an answer to a question from any particular journalist.

He told reporters he wanted to answer “the question you didn’t ask: What was it like in the room?”

In his past careers, Carney has attended a number of these summits, but never as a world leader. He spoke about the advantage of having only nine people in the room.

“There is a great amount of direct dialogue and discussion, very frank exchanges, very strategic exchanges, differences of opinion on a number of issues … but an effort to find common solutions to some of these problems.”

He said this is particularly valuable “at a time when multilateralism is under great strain.”

Asked in French whether Trump brought up the matter of the U.S. making Canada the 51st state during his visit, Carney responded with a flat no.

He said that Trump showed respect for Canadian sovereignty.

Carney was asked why there was no joint statement on Ukraine. "Given the exceptional fast-moving situation in Iran,” he said, “I held this for my chair summary."

He said there are some nuances between the countries' stances, but that all the leaders, and the presidents of the European Commission and European Council, agreed on key points.

He said those points included, "the recognition of the importance, to President Trump, to achieve lasting peace — absolutely agreed."

"We are resolute in pursuing all options to maximize pressure on Russia, including financial sanctions — agreed; that we recognize that Ukraine alone has committed to an unconditional ceasefire and we all agreed that Russia must do the same," Carney said.

Asked by a journalist what he said to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil, Carney did not directly answer.

“We have had a discussion, the prime minister and I, about the importance of having the law enforcement to law enforcement dialogue, not just dialogue, but co-operation,” he said, adding that he also talked about the importance of addressing transnational repression.

“Obviously there is a judicial process underway and I need to be careful about further commentary.”

Carney is touting the agreement that G7 countries and some others have reached to develop critical metals and minerals.

Canada is starting a “Critical Minerals Production Alliance — a new G7 led strategic initiative to stockpile the critical minerals needed for defence and technology such as germanium, gallium, graphite, rare earths,” he said.

China has cornered the market on such critical minerals.

In French, Carney says he totally understands the decision Trump made to leave the G7 summit early, calling it an “exceptional situation” in the Middle East that is serious and very fluid.

He made similar remarks yesterday during the family photo.