4 min readJun 17, 2026 03:58 PM IST
First published on: Jun 17, 2026 at 03:53 PM IST
While world leaders spent the G7 summit in France discussing Iran, Ukraine and global trade, hot microphones also captured lighter moments involving cigarettes, football, birthday gifts and even a forgotten watch.
Meloni quits smoking
On Tuesday, a hot mic caught a moment revealing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s smoking habits. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz asked if she had a cigarette in the morning. The Italian PM revealed she hadn’t smoked “since the first of May”.
Fellow leaders congratulated Meloni on quitting smoking, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney jokingly asking whether she was using a nicotine patch.
Football chatter over lunch
The FIFA World Cup 2026 has started in the United States, Mexico, and Canada; conversations around soccer were enthusiastically discussed in the G7 conference.
During lunch break, all Prime Ministers were hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. A cheer was heard: “Allez les Bleus” for the French team. Another conversation between the leaders revealed the victory by Paris-Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
United States President Donald Trump was celebrating his 80th birthday. Sitting at the ringside of the lunch table, he enthusiastically spoke about the UFC cage match event hosted by him at the White House on Sunday. He mentioned Dana White, the CEO of the UFC.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was amazed by Cape Verde’s draw with World Cup Champion Spain at 0-0. “Quite remarkable, I have to say,” he said.
Trump’s Greenland reference
A microphone conversation was caught between the European Council President “Antonio Costa” and Donald Trump regarding Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark.
A partially audible exchange appeared to include a reference to Greenland, though the full context of the conversation was unclear.
Trump’s threat to acquire Greenland has been a point of outrage and debate among European politicians.
Macron’s forgotten watch
After the lunch break, the French President Emmanuel Macron left his watch at the table. Carney, drawing attention to the unattended watch, said, “He’s left his watch here. We’ve got his watch.”
Trump, in a slight banter, said, “Give it to me if he left, gimme.” Everyone joined in.
Birthday gifts and bicycles
Diplomacy was established through the exchange of gifts. Emmanuel Macron gave a bicycle as a memento to his seven counterparts in the conference to promote the Cycling World Championships scheduled in the French Alps next year. This was confirmed on social media by David Lappartient, president of the Union Cycliste Internationale.
The hot mic wanted to capture the reaction of the President of the United States, who has joked about minimal exercise except golf outings and no bike rides.
Trump was presented with a jersey with the number 47 and his name by Merz, the Chancellor of Germany, who recently sparred with the President amid the war in Iran. Trump took a photo with the gift and set it aside.
The exchange of gifts was posted by Merz on social media: “After all, we’re on the same team.”
US President Donald Trump holds up a jersey with the number 47 on it as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz look on during a working session at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 16, 2026. (Reuters)
(The article was curated by Salonee Kulkarni, who is an intern with The Indian Express)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders during the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, on Tuesday. (PTI) 
US President Donald Trump holds up a jersey with the number 47 on it as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz look on during a working session at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 16, 2026. (Reuters)
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