World leaders gather in Italy for G7 summit | First Thing

Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza wars are on the agenda as the US and other wealthy nations meet. Plus: US firefighters face a housing crisis

Good morning.

The G7 summit kicks off in Puglia, Italy today, with the leaders of wealthy G7 nations meeting to discuss Russia's war on Ukraine, the Israel-Gaza conflict and the climate crisis in Africa, among other topics.

What are some goals of this meeting? The US state department is billing this meeting as the best opportunity to ease Ukraine's financial burdens before the US presidential elections in November and a way to send a message to Russia of western stamina.

What are some key initiatives that will be discussed? The key US initiative is a large expansion of entities, including banks, that will be subject to sanctions if they are deemed to be enabling not just Russia's military industrial complex, but any sanctioned Russian entity.