Ukraine, Middle East expected to loom large on Day 1 of G7 Summit

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Italy for the G7 Summit where the war in Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas are expected to loom large on the opening day.

Two major geopolitical conflicts are expected to loom large today as leaders of the some of the world's largest economies meet in a seaside Italian town for the annual G7 summit.

"This has such enormous unlimited potential," said Aurel Braun, a political science professor at the University of Toronto. "This is a group of democracies, and there's that homogeneity that we agree on values, and that is crucial at the same time as we are facing a world of assault."

The three-day summit is being hosted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who has said the Russia-Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas wars will be key priorities for summit participants. Meloni is fresh off a strong showing in the European Parliamentary elections that set her and the far-right Brothers of Italy as a potential bridge-maker in Europe.

"The G7 is still very relevant," said Paul Samson, the president of the Centre for International Governance Innovation. "They have some coherence that is rare out there right now."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will kick-start the summit by attending several working sessions including in two on Ukraine, one session on Africa, Climate Change and Development and one on the Middle East.

Trudeau will also hold bilateral meetings with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy, who has been specially invited to participate in the G7.

"The G7 ought to have urgency and this is one of the things we will look for," said Braun.