G7 summit in Évian unites around Ukraine pressure after Iran truce thaws transatlantic rift
The three-day gathering in France saw Donald Trump embrace multilateral pressure on Russia while touting his Iran framework agreement as 99 percent complete.
The G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains ended with an unexpected display of transatlantic harmony, propelled by the Iran framework agreement that the US president brought to the French lakeside resort. After months of friction over the Iran war, the seven leaders closed ranks on a joint declaration that sharpens sanctions and arms deliveries for Ukraine.
Iran deal as diplomatic engine
Trump arrived having announced a framework to end the Iran war, a move that changed the summit's atmosphere. The accord, though criticised as too concessionary, holds out the prospect of reopening the Strait of Hormuz and easing the global energy crisis.
The agreed peace simply must hold.
France's president called the gathering a "moment of strategic awakening", and Merz spoke of "really great transatlantic and European unity". The relief over a potential end to the fighting gave Europeans leverage to steer the conversation toward Ukraine.
A common line on Ukraine
For the first time since Trump's second term began, the US and its European allies assessed Ukraine from the same position: Kyiv has fought itself into a position of strength, and Moscow cannot win militarily. The leaders pledged to tighten sanctions on Russia's oil and gas sector and expand supplies of long-range weapons and air-defence systems.
This renewed mobilisation of the G7 to increase pressure on Russia is extremely important.
Trump himself said Russia "must end this war" and should return to the negotiating table. He also signalled that the US would let the temporary suspension of oil sanctions against Russia lapse, a measure introduced to calm markets during the Hormus crisis. The waiver expired on Wednesday night US time.
- Trump announces Iran framework agreement upon arrival at Lake Geneva.
- Summit opens in Évian with an unexpectedly cooperative atmosphere.
- Leaders agree on Ukraine joint statement: tighter sanctions and expanded arms deliveries.
- G7 issues final declaration; Trump holds delayed, self-congratulatory press conference.
- US sanctions waiver on Russian oil trade expires at midnight EDT.
Trump takes the stage
Trump turned his delayed press appearance into a triumphal address aimed at an American audience. He cast the Iran framework as a near-total victory: "We are ending the current conflict, opening the Strait of Hormus and preventing Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon." He said the US had achieved "99 percent of everything we wanted" and claimed stock markets had soared thousands of points while the oil price was falling "like never before".
The president even credited a covert operation from his first term (the killing of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, more than six years ago) with making the deal possible. When a reporter asked about the billions already spent on bombing, Trump mused, "Ach, that is terrible," before pivoting to a warning that bombing would resume if Tehran did not deliver.
I am the boss.
Outlook to Ankara
Macron reportedly kept climate change off the agenda and hosted Trump at Versailles after the summit, signalling the lengths to which allies went to maintain the thaw. The atmosphere may carry over to the NATO summit in Ankara in four weeks, where Washington expects concrete European commitments. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had made clear before the G7 meeting that Trump would not accept mere words on burden-sharing.
