The Latest: G-7 lunch highlights Canada's Charlevoix region
The Latest on President Donald Trump and the annual Group of Seven meeting of industrialized nations (all times local):
12:40 p.m.
President Donald Trump and other leaders of major industrialized nations meeting in Quebec are working through a lunch featuring Arctic char escabeche perfumed with Labrador tea and a buckwheat salad with red apple, rhubarb, and balsam fir spiral.
That will be followed by veal and a dessert described as a "haskap berry and cedar snowball," with northern saffron creme anglaise.
Three meals hosted by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau draw heavily on ingredients from the host Charlevoix region, including quail eggs from nearby Baie-Saint-Paul, organic meats and Charlevoix mushrooms.
Friday's dinner will feature Charlevoix duck breast "in all its forms," Canadian lobster tail as well as galloway beef fillet.
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12:25 p.m.
President Donald Trump has greeted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Group of Seven meeting in Quebec.
The leaders showed no outward signs of tension over their trade dispute. They had a brief, cordial exchange at the summit site overlooking the St. Lawrence River.
Trump walked along the grounds of the summit and then shook hands with Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau.
The leaders smiled and spoke briefly, with Trump putting his left hand on the prime minister's shoulder.
Trump and Trudeau have been at odds over the U.S. president's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
Trudeau has called the tariffs "insulting and unacceptable."
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11:30 a.m.
President Donald Trump's planned meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the G-7 is being pushed back into late Friday afternoon.
Trump was running about 45 minutes behind schedule when Air Force One landed in Quebec. Trump and Macron were scheduled to hold talks Friday morning but Macron's office says they are now expected to meet at 5:40 p.m.
The White House says they're working to reschedule the meeting for later in the day.
The president appeared to be in no hurry to leave for Canada earlier Friday. He walked out of the White House more than half an hour late and spent time greeting supporters gathered on the South Lawn.
Trump then took questions from reporters for nearly 20 minutes.
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10:45 a.m.
Canadian police have peacefully cleared demonstrators and re-opened a road leading to the Group of Seven summit site in Quebec after a tense standoff between police and protesters.
Police in riot gear encircled about 100 protesters who had blocked a road leading to the small town north of Québec City where G-7 leaders are gathering for a two-day summit.
Protesters chanted anti-capitalist slogans and marched in the street, vowing to disturb the 44th annual summit of the countries representing the majority of global wealth.
The crowd remained defiant and stood their ground in the middle of an intersection with officers in riot gear blocking them at every corner and helicopters flying overhead.
Protesters said they achieved their goals of shutting down Québec City after the legislature was closed down on Friday and many businesses decided to shut their doors.
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10:40 a.m.
European Council President Donald Tusk says the U.S. is challenging the international order.
Tusk made the remarks at the Group of Seven summit in Quebec, where President Donald Trump will be meeting with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Germany and Japan.
Asked what he thought of Trump's comments that Russia should be invited back into the G-7, Tusk said: "It's not easy to be surprised by President Trump."
He says it should remain seven.
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10:15 a.m.
Italy's new premier is backing President Donald Trump's call for Russia to return to the group of industrial nations.
Giuseppe Conte tweeted on Friday: "I agree with the President@realDonaldTrump: Russia should go back into the G-8. In the interest of all."
Russia was ousted from the elite G-8 group, now known as the G-7, in 2014 as punishment for President Vladimir Putin's annexation of Crimea and its support for pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine.
Conte's populist coalition includes the right-wing League party which says sanctions on Russia over Ukraine hurt Italian exports. League leader Matteo Salvini who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a great statesmen and says Italy will lobby for the end of European Union sanctions against Russia over the annexation of Crimea.
Conte, a political novice who didn't run for election, is making his international debut at the G-7 meetings in Canada. Salvini and fellow euro-skeptic coalition partner Luigi Di Maio, of the 5-Star Movement, agreed to back Conte so their parties could govern.
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9: 10 a.m.
President Donald Trump is digging in on his threat to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement if he can't make a better deal with America's neighbors.
Trump tells reporters that, "If we're unable to make a deal, we'll terminate NAFTA, we'll have a better deal." He spoke as he left the White House en route to what is sure to be a tense summit in Canada with leaders of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations.
He also says he'll make a deal "very easily" nonetheless.
Trump is also continuing to rail against Canada, Mexico and the European Union, saying their trade practices treat the U.S. unfairly.
Trump's protectionist tariffs on steel and aluminum imports are expected to be a major subject of discussion at the meeting.
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8:30 a.m.
President Donald Trump is calling for Russia to be reinstated to the leading group of industrialized nations, now known as the Group of Seven.
Trump tells reporters: "Russia should be in the meeting, should be a part of it."
Russia was ousted from the elite group in 2014 as punishment for President Vladimir Putin's annexation of Crimea and its support for pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine. The suspension was supported by the other members of the group, including the U.S., Canada, Japan and four European nations.
Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating whether Trump associates colluded with Russia in a bid to sway the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favor.
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7:25 a.m.
President Donald Trump says he won't be talking about the Russia probe for a while because he'll be focused on trade talks at the annual Group of Seven meeting of industrialized nations.
Trump notes on Twitter that he's heading for Canada, where the nations' leaders are gathering at a Quebec resort. Several are expected to challenge Trump's new trade policies, which include tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
Trump tweets that the talks "will mostly center on the long time unfair trade practiced against the United States." After that, he'll head to Singapore for a summit with North Korea.
He adds: "Won't be talking about the Russian Witch Hunt Hoax for a while!"
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6:40 a.m.
President Donald Trump says he is looking forward to "straightening out unfair Trade Deals" at the annual Group of Seven meeting.
The group of industrialized nations is gathering at a Quebec resort for discussions that are expected to be tense. The leaders from France and Canada say they will push back against new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
Trump showed no signs of budging on his trade policies Friday, tweeting: "Looking forward to straightening out unfair Trade Deals with the G-7 countries. If it doesn't happen, we come out even better!
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1:50 a.m.
President Donald Trump is set to descend on the annual Group of Seven meeting of industrialized nations, expecting tough trade talks as his go-it-alone policies leave him increasingly isolated.
On the eve of Friday's gathering at a Quebec resort, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau previewed what will likely be a tense two days. They stressed the need for respectful dialogue but say they will push back against new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, as they have on other issues.
Trump is showing no signs of backing away from what he sees as key campaign promises. He tweeted Thursday: "Getting ready to go to the G-7 in Canada to fight for our country on Trade (we have the worst trade deals ever made)."