Leaders attending the G7 summit, which brings together the world's leading industrialized nations, have a busy agenda for their first full day on Tuesday, including difficult discussions on ending Russia's war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be present at the invitation of host country France.
The discussions on Ukraine follow US President Donald Trump's announcement of an agreement to end the three-and-a-half-month war waged by the United States against Iran. In recent weeks, the conflict with Iran has overshadowed the war in Ukraine launched more than four years ago by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mr. Trump said he had good discussions Sunday with Mr. Zelenskyy and Mr. Putin. "Now that this (Iran) issue is resolved, we're going to focus on that," he said during a bilateral meeting Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron said he would seek to persuade Trump to continue supporting Ukraine and to increase pressure on Russia to help reach a peace agreement. Just hours before the start of the G7 summit, Russia fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at major Ukrainian cities in a barrage that killed 11 people and set fire to a landmark religious site.
Tuesday's talks in the French spa town of Évian-les-Bains will also include a working session on "ending crises and guaranteeing stability in the Middle East." Leaders from Egypt, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates are expected to join the discussions.
Trump is frustrated by the lack of progress towards a resolution of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia
The attacks on Ukraine's largest cities came after Zelenskyy and Putin spoke separately by phone with Trump on Sunday, the US president's 80th birthday. This exchange suggests that Washington has not abandoned its diplomatic efforts to end the fighting that followed Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022.
"The right negotiation is one where Ukraine and Russia are at the table, but with the presence of Europeans and Americans as well," Macron told French television.
During his campaign for a return to the White House, Trump claimed he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. He has since acknowledged that this has proven far more difficult than he initially anticipated.
On Monday, Ukraine officially began accession negotiations with the European Union, launching a process that will require its government to undertake years of political reforms, even as it battles the Russian invasion.
Ukraine views EU membership as a guarantee of security for a stable future once the war is over. Its best guarantee would be membership in the NATO military alliance, but the Trump administration insists this cannot happen, and others are reluctant to join while the war continues.
The war in Iran has been a point of friction between Trump and European leaders
In recent months, Trump has had sharp disagreements with Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni because he did not consult them before deciding to go to war in Iran. Trump has threatened retaliation, including withdrawing US troops from these four countries, all members of the NATO military alliance, due to their lack of support.
Despite these disagreements, the tone in Evian is expected to be rather moderate, as US allies seek rapid progress that could mitigate the economic impact of rising oil prices caused 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 most importantly, the price of oil is collapsing and the stock market is soaring today," Trump said.
Ahead of their G7 meeting, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement congratulating the United States, the Iranian government, and the mediators on what they called a "diplomatic breakthrough." Canada also signed the statement. The leaders said it was essential that in-depth negotiations take place and that the agreement be implemented quickly so that the Strait of Hormuz can be reopened to tanker traffic.
Mr. Macron subsequently stated that France and other Western partners were "ready to act very quickly" to help reopen the Strait of Gibraltar peacefully. France and Great Britain championed a mission to restore maritime security in the Strait as soon as conditions allowed.
Trump, however, appeared to downplay the need for a large-scale international military deployment. “I don’t think we’re going to need a lot of help,” he said during his meeting with Macron. “But I don’t think it’s a bad idea to have one or two ships from a few countries here. Your country would be perfectly suited to do that.”
Next steps on the agenda
On Tuesday, in addition to a working session with Zelenskyy, Trump will participate in meetings, including with the Emir of Qatar and the President of the United Arab Emirates, before attending a cultural show and a dinner with the other G7 leaders.
The G7 comprises France, the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Other nations invited to this summit, including Brazil, India, Kenya, and South Korea, were invited to participate in certain discussions as partner countries alongside the G7 members.
