EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE —G-7 leaders meeting in Evian, France, agreed on June 16 to ramp up pressure on Russia to end the more-than-four-year war in Ukraine, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joined summit talks focused on stepped-up sanctions and diplomacy. U.S. President Donald Trump, who met Zelensky at the resort, said Moscow should “make a deal” and indicated Washington may reimpose previously waived sanctions on Russian oil.
Participants discussed both tougher economic measures and efforts to encourage direct talks between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, though officials said Moscow has yet to show concrete signs of willingness to negotiate. Analysts at the summit noted Ukraine has been holding its ground on the battlefield and recovering territory, even as Russian strikes continue to hit cities and cause civilian casualties.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described a growing consensus among G-7 members and announced new British sanctions targeting tankers carrying Russian liquefied natural gas. A French diplomatic source said leaders also agreed to increase pressure through measures on gas and oil. Summit host Emmanuel Macron invited Zelensky to remain through the three-day meeting so he could meet the other G-7 leaders.
Zelensky urged further sanctions as a primary lever to force Moscow to stop the fighting, showing photos of recent Russian strikes that killed at least 11 people on June 15 and damaged a prominent Kyiv cathedral. Italian and other diplomats said encouraging a face-to-face meeting between the two presidents remains a goal, but it depends on clear gestures from Moscow.
Iran and the Middle East also featured in discussions, with allies pressing Trump about his recent deal with Tehran to end the regional war. Trump defended the agreement as preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and said the U.S. has no obligation to invest in Iran. He described Iran’s current leadership as pragmatic and suggested regional adjustments, including comments about Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s role in countering Hezbollah, calling Sharaa “no boy scout.”