HA Viewpoint, June 18 — The Group of Seven (G7) summit was held from June 15 to 17 in Évian-les-Bains, France. U.S. media has caught the private conversations among the attending leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer praising Cape Verde’s performance at the World Cup and President Donald Trump once again fixating on Greenland.
The G7 summit agenda covered issues such as the Ukraine crisis, the Middle East situation, sustainable economic growth, and artificial intelligence. In addition to the G7 leaders, some leaders from other nations and international organizations were invited to attend.
According to reports, the ongoing 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico became a hot topic in private chats among the leaders. On the 16th, Starmer praised the World Cup debutants Cape Verde, saying their performance was “quite remarkable” and adding, “I had to say it.” A day earlier, Cape Verde managed a 0-0 draw in their Group H opener against heavy favorites Spain.
At another event, a private conversation between Trump and European Council President António Costa was caught by a microphone. Trump first asked, “Do you understand?” paused briefly while looking directly at Costa, and then said, “Greenland.” It remains unclear how the conversation ended.
Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark. Since returning to the White House in 2025, Trump has repeatedly threatened to acquire Greenland, even suggesting the possibility of using military force, which has strained relations between the U.S., Denmark, and many other European allies.
