Trump to attend G7 in France

Donald Trump will attend the Group of Seven leaders’ summit in France next month, the White House confirmed on May 20, putting fresh attention on whether he could also meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines. The summit is scheduled for June 15-17 in Evian-les-Bains, in the French Alps, according to multiple reports citing U.S. and French officials. Emmanuel Macron has invited Modi to attend, Indian media outlets reported, setting up the possibility of a high-profile encounter between the two leaders after months of strain in U.S.-India ties. The White House confirmation also comes as Trump faces disputes with several allies over tariffs and the war involving Iran, according to France 24 and other reports. ### When and where is the summit Trump will attend? Evian-les-Bains will host the G7 leaders’ summit from June 15 to June 17, according to reports published on May 20. The White House had not previously publicly confirmed Trump’s attendance, several outlets said, before a U.S. official said he would travel to France for the meeting. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) France is this year’s G7 host, and the meeting comes at a tense moment for the group as members manage disputes over trade, security and the economic fallout from conflict in the Middle East. Reports on Trump’s planned agenda said he wanted to discuss trade, artificial intelligence and critical mineral supply chains. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) ### Why is Narendra Modi part of the conversation? Narendra Modi is not a G7 member leader, but invited guests regularly attend summit sessions hosted by the chair. News18, Firstpost and other Indian outlets reported that Macron invited Modi to this year’s summit, making a Modi-Trump meeting in France possible if both leaders keep the trip on their schedules. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) News18 reported that such an encounter would be the first in-person meeting between Modi and Trump since February 2025. Firstpost also described the possible talks as the first face-to-face contact in 16 months. Those reports have driven much of the diplomatic interest around Trump’s attendance beyond the summit agenda itself. (news18.com) ### What has strained Washington’s relationship with New Delhi? A 25% U.S. reciprocal tariff on India has become the clearest point of friction in recent coverage of the relationship. Firstpost said the tariff dispute had strained ties and that a bilateral meeting would be read as an effort by both sides to prevent trade tensions from damaging the broader relationship. (news18.com) Indian outlets also linked the current chill to disagreements over Trump’s public claims on India-Pakistan ceasefire diplomacy, though the tariff issue has been the most concrete policy dispute cited in reports about the possible France meeting. News18 said trade deal talks were continuing even as political attention focused on whether the two leaders would meet in person. (firstpost.com) ### Has either side confirmed a Trump-Modi bilateral meeting? No government has publicly confirmed a bilateral Trump-Modi meeting as of May 20. The White House confirmation covers Trump’s attendance at the G7 summit, while the reports about Modi center on Macron’s invitation and the possibility of a sideline interaction. (news18.com) That distinction matters because G7 summits often produce last-minute bilateral schedules. Until Washington, New Delhi or Paris publishes a formal leaders’ program, the expected Modi-Trump contact remains speculation based on both leaders being in the same place at the same time. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) ### What should readers watch before June 15? June 15 is the next fixed date in the story, when leaders begin arriving in Evian-les-Bains for the French-hosted summit. The clearest signals before then will be official schedules from the White House, the Indian government and the French presidency, along with any announcements of bilateral meetings on the summit sidelines. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)