At the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, U.S. President Donald Trump told global leaders, "I'm the boss," a statement he made as G7 heads acknowledged Ukraine's improved battlefield situation and pledged unified support with new sanctions against Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy aimed to convince Trump that Ukraine's fightback was effective and that Russia couldn't dictate peace terms. Trump, who had previously been skeptical, reportedly warmed to Zelenskiy's arguments, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz noting that a common position on Ukraine had been reached, where all G7 partners agreed Russia cannot win the war militarily.
G7 leaders also welcomed a preliminary peace deal between the United States and Iran, which is expected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy supply route Iran had blocked for most of its war with the U.S. French President Emmanuel Macron called it a "very good deal," stating it would end a period of great instability. The deal, broadly matching leaked texts, would immediately see Iran take steps to reopen the Strait and allow it to sell its oil without restrictions. Trump, however, stressed the memorandum of understanding with Iran was not final, threatening to resume bombing if it wasn't honored. The accord is set to be formally signed on Friday in Switzerland.
While European allies supported the preliminary deal, diplomats expressed caution about securing a lasting agreement on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The deal also calls for an immediate end to fighting in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, though leaked versions did not mention Israel's withdrawal, which Iran insists upon. G7 leaders also discussed rebalancing global trade and addressing "predatory competition," primarily from China, summarizing the imbalances as "China produces too much, the U.S. consumes too much and the Europeans invest too little."
