Paris, June 17:
Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations used their summit on Tuesday to push the war in Ukraine back to the forefront of US President Donald Trump’s agenda after recent tensions in the Middle East overshadowed the conflict.
Following the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, Trump said he was ready to refocus on Ukraine, stating that the Iran issue would soon be “back in the rearview mirror.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined G7 leaders for discussions in the French town of Evian.
According to a French diplomat familiar with the talks, leaders agreed to increase pressure on Russia through additional sanctions targeting its oil and natural gas sectors.
They also endorsed a common position to strengthen Ukraine’s air-defence capabilities and provide further security assistance.
As US support has declined under Trump, European nations have become Ukraine’s principal military and financial backers.
Trump described the war as “ridiculous” and lamented the continuing loss of life, saying he would do whatever possible to help end the conflict.
However, his efforts to broker peace have made little progress despite his earlier campaign promise that he could end the war within 24 hours of returning to office.
The renewed focus on Ukraine came after Russia launched one of its largest attacks in recent months, firing hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at major Ukrainian cities.
The strikes killed at least 11 people and damaged infrastructure, including a religious landmark. The attacks followed separate phone conversations Trump held with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine also formally opened negotiations to join the European Union, marking a significant step toward closer integration with Europe.
Kyiv sees EU membership as a long-term security guarantee, although its hopes of joining NATO remain stalled due to opposition from the Trump administration and concerns among some allies.
The summit also addressed developments in the Middle East following the US-Iran ceasefire agreement.