President Trump attends G7

By Meg Wagner and Brian Ries, CNN

Updated 7:48 p.m. ET, June 11, 2018
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5:50 p.m. ET, June 8, 2018

Our live coverage has ended. Scroll through the posts below to see how the day unfolded.

5:30 p.m. ET, June 8, 2018

What Trump and Trudeau talked about during their meeting

From CNN's Allie Malloy

SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just sat down for their bilateral meeting, on the heels of tense words between the two leaders as a result of trade. 

Trump floated the idea that NAFTA could be a one-on-one country agreement.

"Could be with Canada, with Mexico, one-on-one much simpler agreement. Much easier to do. I think better for both countries but we're talking about that among other things," Trump said.

Trump said there was "a lot of progress today" on trade and added that their relationship "is probably better than it's ever been." Trudeau did not remark on that comment.  

Trump began his remarks joking, "Justin has agreed to cut all tariffs and trade barriers between Canada and the United States," to laughter in the room.

This meeting could have been awkward. Trump is expecting a drag-down fight with top US allies — including Canada — over trade.

5:21 p.m. ET, June 8, 2018

Canada and European Union agree: Sorry, Russia can't come back to G7

From CNN’s Spencer Feingold

German Chancellor Angela Merkel walks to the official G7 welcoming ceremony in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel walks to the official G7 welcoming ceremony in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada. GEOFF ROBINS/AFP/Getty Images

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the European Union countries agree Russia should not return to the G7.

"We agree that a return by Russia to the G7 format cannot happen as long as there isn't any substantial progress in regard to the problems with Ukraine. That was the common view," Merkel said at a press conference Friday,

Canada also agreed that Russia should not return.

“There are no grounds whatsoever for bringing Russia, with its current behavior, back into the G7,” Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reports on Friday.  

Russia was suspended from the group in 2014 after the majority of member countries allied against Russia's annexation of Crimea, which Russia continues to hold. 

President Trump this morning told reporters that Russia should be reinstated.

4:41 p.m. ET, June 8, 2018

Canada and US officials talk tariffs at G7 Summit

From CNN’s Paula Newton and Spencer Feingold

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer met Friday on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Quebec to discuss NAFTA negotiations, the Canadian Foreign Ministry confirmed.  

Freeland and Lighthizer also discussed the steel and aluminum tariffs imposed last week on Canadian goods by the Trump administration. Freeland said on Sunday that Canada was ‘hurt’ and ‘insulted’ by the tariffs.

At a press conference Friday afternoon, Freeland said that senior officials were drafting a final G7 communiqué — a traditional summit joint statement — but that the work was difficult. (Ahead of the summit, the wide disagreements between President Trump and US allies led to questions about whether the assembled leaders would produce the communiqué.)

4:11 p.m. ET, June 8, 2018

There will be no official Trump-May meeting at G7 (as of now)

From CNN's Michelle Kosinski

The UK delegation attempted to set up a bilateral meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister May but a person familiar with the discussions said the UK delegation "never really got a clear response, and concluded she would catch him when they were hanging around between sessions‎."

Instead the source said the two leaders are expected to briefly chat in a "brush past."

The Brits do not seem angered by this, the source said, because there is the upcoming NATO summit and President Trump’s visit to England this summer.

3:59 p.m. ET, June 8, 2018

Trump's comment about Russia rejoining G7 was not planned, source says

From CNN's Allie Malloy

A National Security Council official tells reporters in Quebec that President Trump's comments this morning suggesting that Russia should be allowed to rejoin the G7 were not planned. 

When asked about whether there was a potential for a summit between Russian President Putin and President Trump, the official said there have been no discussions in terms of when, where or what that summit might look like.

Russia was suspended from the group in 2014 after the majority of member countries allied against Russia's annexation of Crimea, which Russia continues to hold. 

But then Trump said this:  

3:45 p.m. ET, June 8, 2018

Inside the G7 leaders' working session

From CNN's Kevin Liptyak

The world leaders at G7 are having a working session this afternoon.

President Trump took his seat between Chancellor Merkel and Prime Minister Trudeau at a circular table situated in a sunny room with windows overlooking the river.

Trudeau explained the pens at each leaders' seat were made by a local craftsman.

Reporters and photographers were allowed in the room briefly. At one point Trump pointed out Doug Mills — calling him the "number one photographer in the world" — but said with chagrin that he works for the New York Times.

2:58 p.m. ET, June 8, 2018

Trump and France's Macron will meet again today

From CNN's Allie Malloy

US President Trump (l.) and French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd r.) with his wife Brigitte Macron arrive in La Malbaie, Quebec.
US President Trump (l.) and French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd r.) with his wife Brigitte Macron arrive in La Malbaie, Quebec. LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP/Getty Images

President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron have already met once at this G7 Summit — and they'll meet at least once more, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said.

"President Trump and President Macron had a brief pull aside earlier today. They exchanged pleasantries and briefly discussed trade. We expect an additional meeting to take place this afternoon," Sanders said.

A Trump-Macron bilateral meeting scheduled for this morning was called off as President Trump arrived in Quebec later than expected.

2:43 p.m. ET, June 8, 2018

McCain, Biden blast Trump for suggesting Russia be re-admitted to the G7

Republican Sen. John McCain and former Vice President Joe Biden both blasted President Trump's suggestion that Russia should be re-admitted to the G7 on Friday.

McCain said: "Vladimir Putin chose to make Russia unworthy of membership in the G-8 by invading Ukraine and annexing Crimea. Nothing he has done since then has changed that most obvious fact...The President has inexplicably shown our adversaries the deference and esteem that should be reserved for our closest allies."

Biden said: "Putin’s Russia invaded its neighbors, violated our sovereignty by undermining elections, and attacks dissidents abroad. Yet our President wants to reward him with a seat at the table while alienating our closest democratic allies. It makes no sense.

Why Russia was booted: Russia's membership in the influential group was suspended in 2014 after a majority of countries allied against Russia's annexation of Crimea, which Russia continues to hold. 

President Trump this morning told reporters Russia should be allowed back into the group: