World leaders gathered at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, for a working session on June 16, 2026. Leaders from G7 countries, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and European Union President Ursula von der Leyen participated in discussions on geopolitical issues. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz presented former President Donald Trump with a Germany World Cup jersey featuring 'Trump' and the number 47.
Prior to this exchange, Trump, Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi engaged in a handshake circle. Following the greetings, they took their seats at a round table. Trump sat next to Starmer and Merz, who then approached Trump to give him the jersey. Trump unfolded the jersey and displayed it, while Starmer smiled and Meloni laughed. Trump expressed his approval, stating, 'That’s great.'
Merz's gesture followed previous tensions between world leaders regarding the military conflict with Iran. In April, Merz criticized the U.S. position on Iran, stating that the Iranian leadership was embarrassing the United States. Trump responded by questioning Merz's understanding of the situation, asserting that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons.