Emmanuel Macron, President of France, left, greets U.S. President Donald Trump in the course of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Monday, June 15, 2026.
Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press through AP
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Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press through AP
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — Leaders on the Group of Seven summit of main industrialized nations face a packed agenda on their first full day Tuesday, together with difficult discussions on ending Russia’s struggle in Ukraine and addressing the Center East disaster. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will likely be in attendance on the invitation of host France.
The Ukraine talks come on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of an settlement to finish the three 1/2-month-old U.S. struggle in opposition to Iran. In current weeks, the Iran battle has overshadowed the struggle in Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched greater than 4 years in the past.
Trump mentioned he had good conversations on Sunday with each Zelenskyy and Putin. “Now that this (Iran) is finished, we’re going to be focusing on that,” he mentioned, talking throughout a bilateral assembly Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron mentioned he’ll search to influence Trump to proceed supporting Ukraine and enhance strain on Russia to assist attain a peace settlement. Hours earlier than the beginning of the G7 summit, Russia fired lots of of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine’s largest cities in a barrage that killed 11 folks and set fireplace to a non secular landmark.
Tuesday’s discussions within the French spa city of Evian-les-Bains additionally embrace a piece session targeted on “ending crises and ensuring stability in the Middle East.” Leaders of Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are to hitch the talks.
Trump has been pissed off by a scarcity of motion towards Ukraine-Russia decision
The assaults on Ukraine’s largest cities got here after Zelenskyy and Putin spoke individually by telephone with Trump on Sunday, the U.S. chief’s eightieth birthday. The trade suggests Washington hasn’t given up on its diplomatic efforts to cease the preventing that adopted Moscow’s all-out invasion of its neighbor in 2022.
“The right negotiation is one in which Ukraine and Russia are at the table, but with Europeans and Americans present as well,” Macron mentioned on French tv.
Whereas campaigning for a return to the White Home, Trump claimed he may finish the Russia-Ukraine struggle inside 24 hours of taking workplace. He has since acknowledged it has proved a lot tougher than he initially thought it might be.
Ukraine on Monday formally began European Union membership negotiations, launching a course of that may require its authorities to decide to years of political reforms even because it fights a Russian invasion.
Ukraine sees EU membership as a safety assure for a steady future as soon as the struggle ends. Its greatest assure could be membership within the NATO navy alliance, however the Trump administration insists that can’t occur, and others are cautious of it becoming a member of whereas the struggle continues.
Iran struggle has been a flashpoint between Trump and European leaders
In current months, Trump has had sharp disagreements with Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over his failure to seek the advice of them earlier than the choice to go to struggle in Iran. Trump has threatened reprisals, together with drawing down U.S. troops in all 4 nations, all members of the NATO navy alliance, for his or her lack of help.
Regardless of these disagreements, the tone in Evian ought to be slightly measured, as U.S. allies search speedy progress that would ease the financial affect of rising oil costs brought on by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
“I think a lot of great things are going to happen in the Middle East right now, and very importantly the oil is plummeting down and the stock market is shooting up like a rocket today,” Trump mentioned.
Forward of their assembly on the G7, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the UK issued a joint assertion congratulating america, the Iranian authorities and the mediators on what they referred to as a “diplomatic breakthrough.” Canada additionally signed the assertion. The leaders mentioned it was important for detailed negotiations to happen and for the deal to be rapidly applied so the Strait of Hormuz may be reopened to tanker visitors.
Macron later mentioned France and different Western companions are “ready to take action very quickly” to assist reopen the strait peacefully. France and Britain have championed a mission to revive maritime safety within the strait as quickly as situations permit.
Trump, nonetheless, appeared to downplay the necessity for a big worldwide navy deployment. “I don’t think we’re gonna need much help,” he mentioned throughout his assembly with Macron. “But I don’t think it’s a bad idea to have a ship or two up here from a few countries. You’d be a great country to do it.”
What’s subsequent on the agenda
On Tuesday, along with a working session that features Zelenskyy, Trump will take part in conferences that embrace sit-downs with the emir of Qatar and the president of the UAE earlier than attending a cultural efficiency and a dinner with the opposite G7 leaders.
The G7 contains France, america, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK. Different visitor nations at this summit together with Brazil, India, Kenya and South Korea had been invited to take part in some discussions as companion nations alongside G7 members.
