EVIAN (France): Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations concluded their summit in Evian, France, on Wednesday with a renewed show of unity on Ukraine and a pledge to increase pressure on Russia, amid signs that US President Donald Trump is taking a tougher stance toward Moscow.
The leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States agreed on a final communique reaffirming support for Ukraine and committing to strengthen sanctions on Russia, particularly targeting revenues from fossil fuel exports.
The summit also endorsed increased supplies of air defence equipment to Ukraine and backed licensing arrangements that would allow Ukrainian companies to produce long-range missiles and air defence systems.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the agreement as a success, while French President Emmanuel Macron said there had been a “very deep change” in Washington’s approach, arguing that Trump now recognised Russian President Vladimir Putin was not seriously pursuing peace.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also highlighted broad consensus among the leaders on Ukraine.
The summit, attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, contrasted sharply with last year’s gathering, when Trump left early.
This time, the US president remained throughout the three-day meeting and signed the final statement. Trump said both Putin and Zelensky wanted peace but had yet to find a path forward.
The Middle East was another major focus.
Trump signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the monthslong conflict with Iran, while warning that military action could resume if Tehran failed to meet its commitments.
Leaders also turned their attention to artificial intelligence and online safety. In a joint statement, the G7 urged technology companies to ensure safer and ageappropriate digital experiences for children.
The discussion featured leading AI figures, including OpenAI chief Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis and Mistral AI chief Arthur Mensch.
Following the summit, Macron hosted Trump at the Palace of Versailles, where the US president signed the Iran memorandum during a private dinner attended by political and business leaders.
The visit underscored Trump’s central role throughout a summit that sought to project unity on global security, technology governance and geopolitical stability. – AFP
