G7 summit discusses Ukraine war as Zelenskyy meets leaders in France

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Evian-les-Bains, France, for a working session with Group of Seven leaders on Tuesday to discuss steps toward ending the war that began with Russia’s 2022 invasion. He was received by French President Emmanuel Macron before the talks began.

Five G7 members – Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy and Japan – gathered with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for the Ukraine discussion, while President Donald Trump was absent from the initial session. Britain announced new sanctions targeting Russia’s “shadow fleet” used to transport oil and gas, as well as financial networks that help Moscow evade existing measures.

The summit also included a session on Middle-East stability, with leaders from Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates joining the dialogue. Earlier in the day, Russia launched a large drone and missile attack on several Ukrainian cities, killing 11 people.

"Now that this (Iran) is finished, we’re going to be focusing on that," Trump said at the summit, referring to the recent agreement to end the U.S. conflict with Iran.

"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 added.

"France and other Western partners are ready to take action very quickly to help reopen the strait peacefully," Macron said, referring to the Strait of Hormuz.

Ukraine formally began European Union membership negotiations, a process that will require extensive political reforms while the country continues to face Russian military pressure. The G7 leaders, including guest nations Brazil, India, Kenya and South Korea, are expected to continue discussions on sanctions, energy security and diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.