Colorado Politics

Top five hot mic moments from world leaders at G7 Summit

As the 52nd annual G7 Summit came to a close on Wednesday in France, world leaders not only discussed diplomacy front and center, but also engaged in lighter conversations on the sidelines.

There were many hot-mic moments in which President Donald Trump and European politicians joked with each other, but there were also behind-the-scenes conversations that were more serious. Here are the top five G7 hot mic moments this year:

1. Zelensky and Macron talk about dealing with Trump

One notable moment involved French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who were heard discussing how to handle Trump.

“Yesterday, we had a difficult discussion” with Trump, Macron reportedly told Zelensky as the latter arrived at the summit. The two were walking around the Hotel Royal in Evian-les-Bains, France, when the conversation was overheard by astute observers.

Macron asked Zelensky to stay longer at the summit, to which Zelensky said he had to meet with EU leaders in Brussels, Belgium. Macron also asked if Zelensky had scheduled a bilateral meeting with Trump to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war. When Zelensky said he had not, Macron responded, “Okay, I will arrange that.” A one-on-one meeting was later held.

An end to the conflict in Ukraine remains elusive as Zelensky met with European politicians this week. Trump is expected to return his attention to Ukraine once the United States finalizes a peace deal with Iran. Before departing for France, Trump spoke with Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in separate phone calls.

2. Meloni says she quit smoking

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told fellow G7 leaders that she quit smoking last month, saying she hasn’t smoked a cigarette since May 1.

Leaders from Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union congratulated her on the accomplishment. In turn, European Council President Antonio Costa shared that he quit smoking back in 2005.

Meloni’s confession, which went viral on social media this week, also received praise from World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who congratulated her “on this important decision.”

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney asked his Italian counterpart if she had a nicotine patch while grabbing his own arm.

3. Trump raves about White House UFC fight

At one point during a roundtable discussion, Trump ranted at length about the UFC fight night at the White House held on Sunday.

The president was heard saying he especially liked the last two mixed martial arts matches. “Two guys that couldn’t be beaten,” he said of American champion Justin Gaethje and French athlete Ciryl Gane, who won their respective fights.

As seen in a roughly one-minute video posted on social media, Meloni’s facial expressions stole the spotlight as Trump raved about the UFC event while she glanced away for a moment. She appeared indifferent to Trump’s sports talk.

The close friendship between Trump and Meloni soured in April when he slammed her for defending Pope Leo XIV, who voiced his opposition to the U.S. war with Iran. At the time, Trump called Meloni’s behavior “unacceptable” and claimed she “lacks courage.”

It appears the two have been trying to make up since then.

When Costa remarked that the two were “friends again” at the summit, Meloni replied, “We’ve always been friends.” She laughed and smiled during the exchange.

4. Macron forgets his watch

Macron appeared to leave behind his watch after eating lunch with several other world leaders.

Carney said, “He’s left his watch here. We’ve got his watch.” Trump then jokingly responded, “Give me it if he left, gimme.” The interaction drew laughs from the group.

Over the years, Macron has sometimes taken off his watch in public. He did it again on the last day of the G7.

Following the three-day summit, Macron hosted Trump for dinner at the Palace of Versailles to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.

5. Trump utters ‘Greenland’

Trump referenced Greenland in a private chat with Costa off to the side.

The exact contents of the conversation remain unknown, but it’s likely related to Trump’s long-standing interest in acquiring the semiautonomous Danish territory.

“You understand?” Trump said before pausing and looking squarely at Costa. “Greenland,” Trump added.

European leaders have been upset with Trump’s threats to take over Greenland, but the issue has taken a back seat during the Iran war.

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