{"id":798,"date":"2026-06-16T04:11:06","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T04:11:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=798"},"modified":"2026-06-16T04:11:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T04:11:06","slug":"g7-leaders-open-summit-talks-on-ukraine-and-the-middle-east-as-zelenskyy-joins-in-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=798","title":{"rendered":"G7 leaders open summit talks on Ukraine and the Middle East as Zelenskyy joins in France"},"content":{"rendered":"
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EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) \u2014 Leaders at the Group of Seven summit of major industrialized nations face a packed agenda on their first full day Tuesday, including challenging discussions on ending Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine<\/span> and addressing the Middle East crisis. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be in attendance at the invitation of host France.<\/p>\n

Read more A Russian barrage in Ukraine kills 11 and damages a sacred landmark, officials say<\/a><\/p>\n

The Ukraine talks come on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s announcement<\/span> of an agreement to end the 3 1\/2-month-old U.S. war against Iran. In recent weeks, the Iran conflict<\/span> has overshadowed the war in Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched more than four years ago.<\/p>\n

Trump said he had good conversations on Sunday with both Zelenskyy and Putin<\/span>. \u201cNow that this (Iran) is finished, we\u2019re going to be focusing on that,\u201d he said, speaking during a bilateral meeting Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron.<\/p>\n

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Macron said he\u2019ll 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\u2019s biggest cities in a barrage that killed 11 people and set fire to a religious landmark<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Tuesday\u2019s discussions in the French spa town of Evian-les-Bains also include a work session focused on \u201cending crises and ensuring stability in the Middle East.\u201d Leaders of Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are to join the talks. <\/p>\n

Trump has been frustrated by a lack of movement toward Ukraine-Russia resolution<\/h2>\n

The attacks on Ukraine\u2019s biggest cities came after Zelenskyy and Putin spoke separately by phone with Trump on Sunday, the U.S. leader\u2019s 80th birthday.<\/span> The exchange suggests Washington hasn\u2019t given up on its diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting<\/span> that followed Moscow\u2019s all-out invasion of its neighbor in 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe right negotiation is one in which Ukraine and Russia are at the table, but with Europeans and Americans present as well,\u201d Macron said on French television.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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Ukraine on Monday officially started European Union membership negotiations<\/span>, launching a process that will require its government to commit to years of political reforms even as it fights a Russian invasion<\/span>.<\/p>\n

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<\/span>, and others are wary of it joining while the war continues.<\/p>\n

Read more UK bans under-16s from using social media apps including TikTok and YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n

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Iran war has been a flashpoint between Trump and European leaders<\/h2>\n

In recent months, Trump has had sharp disagreements with Macron<\/span>, 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n

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