Trump's Tough Talk at G7 Summit, Softer Stance on Ukraine

EU and G7 leaders on Wednesday unanimously committed to supporting Ukraine and imposing new sanctions on Russia. At the summit, US President Trump declared, 'I'm the boss.'

The remark came during the G7 summit held in Evian-les-Bains, France, from June 15 to 17, following a joint statement that could further strengthen Ukraine's hand in potential peace negotiations with Russia.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and his allies aimed to convince Trump that Ukraine's counteroffensive is yielding results and that Russia cannot dictate terms in any peace agreement.

The joint statement and leaders' comments indicated that Trump, after years of skepticism, is becoming more receptive to Zelenskyy's arguments. French President Macron said this reflects a 'real shift' in the US stance on Ukraine and called the summit 'a success.' In contrast, last year's G7 summit in Canada failed to reach a common position on Ukraine.

Italian Prime Minister Meloni said leaders found 'common ground' with Trump, which she noted is 'not always a given.' Canadian Prime Minister Carney praised the US and Trump for a 'change in position.'

Last year, Trump left the G7 summit a day early due to Middle East tensions, but this year he attended the entire event and was scheduled to attend a dinner at the Palace of Versailles later that evening. Leaders were visibly relieved that the summit produced joint statements on Ukraine, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and other issues.

However, any prospect of forcing Moscow into peace talks remains contingent on Trump's commitments, which can often be uncertain.

'I'm the boss,' Trump told leaders and journalists as he took his seat at the global economic security meeting.

Trump's Iran Agreement Sets Tone for Negotiations

G7 leaders also welcomed the preliminary peace agreement between the US and Iran and expressed willingness to help implement it, but Trump did not make specific commitments about the role others might play.

European allies worry that an inexperienced US negotiating team may not secure a solid nuclear deal in the next phase or address Iran's ballistic missile program, leading to prolonged standoffs.

Meanwhile, Trump stressed that the memorandum of understanding with Iran is not a final agreement and that the US could resume bombing if Iran fails to comply with its commitments.

'If I don't like it, if they're not honest, we'll immediately resume bombing and drop bombs right on top of their heads,' he said.

Although European allies publicly support the preliminary agreement, diplomats warned that reaching a lasting deal on Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missile program, and support for proxy forces in the Middle East will be very challenging.