French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gather to watch a parachute drop at San Domenico Golf Club during day one of the 50th G7 summit in Fasano, Italy, on June 13.
Right-wing Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, known for her hard-line stance on the issue, has been eager to increase investment and funding for African nations as a means of reducing migratory pressure on Europe. More than 22,000 people have arrived in Italy by sea so far in 2024, according to UNHCR figures. In 2023, more than 157,000 arrived, and nearly 2,000 died or went missing while attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing.
“This is the route that we intend, together with our partners, to put in place: this coalition to fight against the smugglers, these criminal groups which are abusing to make money and to destabilize regions and countries across the world,” he added. Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the freezing of Russian assets as “theft” and vowed it “will not go unpunished.”
But some cracks appeared among the G7 leaders, with French President Emmanuel Macron deploring a lack of reference to abortion in the draft of the summit’s final document.