ALBAWABA - The Group of Seven Summit, which is currently taking place in Evian in France, will go through a long agenda that includes the Russian-Ukrainian war and the conflicts in the Middle East.
Among the principal items on the agenda is the Russian-Ukrainian war with Macron and Zelenskyy, whom Macron invited to the summit, persuading Trump to continue supporting Ukraine while pressuring Russia to end the conflict.
The discussions also include a work session aimed at “ending crises and ensuring stability in the Middle East.” Leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates are joining the talks.
Ukraine and Russia
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) reacts as he holds up a jersey of Germany's national football team bearing the number 47 and his name, gifted by Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz (C) flanked by Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of a working session at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, central-eastern France on June 16, 2026. (Photo by Thibault Camus / POOL / AFP)
Trump, who has claimed that he can end the war within 24 days of taking office, has now been 503 days overdue, with the latest strikes occurring just hours before the summit, with Russia firing hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles into Ukraine, killing 11 people and setting fire to a 1000-year-old Orthodox Cathedral.
Despite this, Trump said that he has had positive discussions with both Putin and Zelenskyy on Sunday; remaining optimistic as the Iran war comes to a close; saying: "Now that this (Iran) is finished, we’re going to be focusing on that."
Ukraine, itself not sitting idle, has officially started EU membership negotiations, looking forward to a stable future with security guarantees even as it faces a foreign invasion, the very outcome that Russia wanted to avoid and the reason it started the war in the first place. While NATO membership for Ukraine is still out of the question according to the Trump administration.
Iran and US-European Fallout
U.S. President Donald Trump (L) is greeted by France's President Emmanuel Macron prior to a working session at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, central-eastern France on June 16, 2026. (Photo by Thibault Camus / POOL / AFP)
During the Iran war, Trump has been quite vocal in his criticisms of the European leaders for their perceived lack of support, threatening to pull troops out of the European NATO-allied countries, while they, on the other hand, criticize Trump for his failure to consult them before going to war.
Despite the back and forth, it seems the tone at the summit is friendly enough, with both U.S. and European leaders wanting rapid progress in easing the economic strain that the war has caused.
“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 said.
Ahead of the meeting, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, along with Canada, issued a joint statement congratulating Trump on his ‘diplomatic breakthrough’ in ending the Iran war, with European leaders stressing the importance of quickly implementing detailed negotiations in order for the Strait of Hormuz to be opened as soon as possible.
Eager to see this happen, France along with Britain stated that they’re “ready to take action very quickly”, championing a mission to restore maritime security in the strait as soon as conditions allow. Trump downplayed the effort, saying: "I don’t think we’re gonna need much help,” during a meeting 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."
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.
