G7 leaders open summit talks on Ukraine and the Middle East as Zelenskyy
joins in France
[June 16, 2026]
By SYLVIE CORBET, DARLENE SUPERVILLE and AAMER MADHANI
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
joined world leaders at the Group of Seven summit of major
industrialized nations Tuesday for talks on ending the war in Ukraine
after more than four years of conflict sparked by Russia’s full-scale
invasion.
Zelenskyy was welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of a
morning working session with G7 leaders to discuss the war.
The Ukraine talks come on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump's
announcement of an agreement to end the 3 1/2-month-old U.S. war against
Iran. Trump said he had good conversations on Sunday with both Zelenskyy
and Putin.
“Now that this (Iran) is finished, we’re going to be focusing on that,”
he said at the G7 summit.
Five of the seven leaders, representing Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy
and Japan, were huddled in conversation with European Commission
President Ursula von der Leyen before the start of the first session on
Ukraine. Trump was missing. Macron, too, hadn’t arrived yet because he
was with Zelenskyy.
Meanwhile, Britain 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 sanctioned ships include
several vessels recently purchased by Russia to ship liquefied natural
gas from its sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project. Last weekend, U.K. troops
seized a Russian shadow fleet vessel in the English Channel for the
first time.
In recent weeks, the Iran conflict has overshadowed the war in Ukraine
that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched. Macron said he’ll seek
to persuade Trump to continue supporting Ukraine and increase pressure
on Russia to help reach a peace agreement.
Hours before the start of the G7 summit, 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.
Trump has been frustrated by a lack of movement toward Ukraine-Russia
resolution
The attacks on Ukraine's biggest cities came after Zelenskyy and Putin
spoke separately by phone with Trump on Sunday, the U.S. leader's 80th
birthday. The exchange suggests Washington hasn’t given up on its
diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting that followed Moscow’s all-out
invasion of its neighbor in 2022.
While campaigning for a return to the White House, Trump claimed he
could end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office. He
has since acknowledged it has proved much harder than he initially
thought it would be.
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 a Russian
invasion.
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 it joining while the war continues.
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French President Emmanuel Macron, right, walks with Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Hotel Royal for the G7 Summit
in Evian-les-Bains, France, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (Yoan Valat/Pool
Photo via AP)
Iran war has been a flashpoint between Trump and European leaders
Tuesday’s discussions also include a work session focused on “ending
crises and ensuring stability in the Middle East.” Leaders of Egypt,
Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are to join the talks.
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 U.S. troops in all four
countries, all members of the NATO military alliance, for their lack
of support.
Despite those disagreements, the tone in Evian should be rather
measured, as U.S. allies seek rapid progress that could ease 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 very importantly the oil is plummeting down and
the stock market is shooting up like a rocket today,” Trump said.
Ahead of their meeting at the G7, 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 vital for detailed negotiations
to take place and for the deal to be quickly implemented so the
Strait of Hormuz can be reopened to tanker traffic.
Macron later said France and other Western partners are “ready to
take action very quickly” to help reopen the strait peacefully.
France and Britain have championed a mission to restore maritime
security in the strait as soon as conditions allow.
Trump, however, appeared to downplay the need for a large
international military deployment. “I don’t think we’re gonna need
much help," he said during his 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."
What's next on the agenda
Trump will participate in meetings that include sit-downs with the
emir of Qatar and the president of the UAE before attending a
cultural performance and a dinner with the other G7 leaders.
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.
___
Madhani reported from Geneva. Jill Lawless and Samuel Petrequin in
London contributed to this report.
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