G7 allies scramble to put Ukraine back atop Trump’s agenda as war drags on

Evian-Les-Bains: US allies at the Group of Seven summit of major industrialised democracies worked Tuesday to push the war in Ukraine back up the agenda of President Donald Trump after more than four years of fighting sparked by Russia’s full-scale attack.

The Iran conflict has in recent weeks overshadowed Ukraine, but following his announcement of an agreement to end the 3 1/2-month-old conflict in the Gulf, Trump said he now wants to focus on Ukraine.

Trump said Iran will soon be “back in the rearview mirror.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined G7 leaders for a morning working session. Talks wrapped quickly, as leaders gathered for just 75 minutes. According to a French diplomat familiar with the talks, G7 leaders, including Trump, agreed to increase pressure on Russia, notably through sanctions targeting its oil and natural gas sectors.

The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity on ongoing talks in Evian, said G7 leaders held a “very fruitful” conversation on Ukraine.

Leaders also agreed on a common position to support Ukraine by providing additional air defense capabilities and other means of protection, the diplomat said. As the US under Trump has cut back aid to Ukraine, France and its European allies are now the biggest providers of military and financial support to Kyiv.

In the French spa town close to the Swiss border, Trump downplayed the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the US but lamented the death toll.

“The whole thing is ridiculous,” Trump said. “So, yeah, I’m going to do whatever I can.”

Meanwhile, the UK announced a new set of sanctions targeting the “shadow fleet “ Russia uses to ship oil and gas, and the finance networks used by Moscow to evade Western sanctions. The ships targeted include several vessels recently purchased by Russia to transport liquefied natural gas from its sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project.

Trump frustrated by lack of movement toward Ukraine-Russia resolution

Hours before the summit began, Russia fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine’s biggest cities in a barrage that killed 11 people and set fire to a religious landmark.

The attacks on Ukraine’s biggest cities came after Zelenskyy and Putin spoke separately by phone with Trump on Sunday, the US leader’s 80th birthday.

While campaigning in 2024 for a return to the White House, Trump claimed he could end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office. However, negotiations have stuttered and Trump has since acknowledged it has proved much harder than he initially thought.

Ukraine on Monday officially started European Union membership negotiations, launching a process that will require its government to commit to years of political reforms even as it fights the Russian attack.

Ukraine sees EU membership as a security guarantee for a stable future once the war ends. Its best guarantee would be membership in the NATO military alliance, but the Trump administration insists that cannot happen, and others are wary of Ukraine joining while the war continues.

Iran war has been a flashpoint between Trump and European leaders

Trump expressed frustration over Israel’s continued hostilities with the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, telling reporters he’s “not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah.”

“They should have been able to deal with them faster,” Trump added about Israeli operations to target Hezbollah. “It just goes on forever. And when that happens, it throws a negative light on the big deal. And that’s the deal with Iran.”

G7 leaders also convened a working lunch to discuss the situation in the Middle East, with conversation expected to focus on the path ahead after the US-Iran ceasefire agreement.

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 over his failure to consult them before the decision to go to war in Iran. Trump has threatened reprisals, including drawing down US troops in all four countries, all NATO members, for their lack of support.

Despite those disagreements, US allies seek rapid progress that could ease the economic impact of rising oil prices caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Macron said France and other Western partners are “ready to take action very quickly” to help reopen the strait peacefully. France and the UK have championed a mission to restore maritime security in the strait as soon as conditions allow.

The G7 comprises France, the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom. Other guest nations at this summit, including Brazil, India, Kenya and South Korea, were invited to participate in some discussions.