G7 Summit Opens as Russia Pounds Ukraine Hours Before
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- G7 leaders opened summit talks in Evian-les-Bains, France on June 16, 2026, with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy attending at France's invitation; the Tuesday agenda includes a working session on "ending crises and ensuring stability in the Middle East" joined by leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE.
- Russia fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine's biggest cities hours before the G7 opened, killing 11 people and setting fire to a religious landmark — the latest in escalating barrages.
- Zelenskyy and Putin each spoke separately by phone with Trump on Sunday (Trump's 80th birthday); Trump told Macron "now that this [Iran] is finished, we're going to be focusing on that," redirecting U.S. attention back to the Ukraine track.
- Ukraine officially launched European Union membership negotiations on Monday, a years-long reform process the government frames as a security guarantee, though the Trump administration insists NATO membership "cannot happen" while the war continues.
- Trump had sharp disagreements with Macron, Starmer, Merz, and Meloni over his failure to consult them before the Iran war decision, and threatened to draw down U.S. troops in all four NATO countries — yet leaders of those five nations plus Canada signed a joint statement calling the U.S.-Iran deal a "diplomatic breakthrough."
- France and Britain have championed a naval mission to restore maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz amid rising oil prices; Trump publicly downplayed the need, telling Macron "I don't think we're gonna need much help" but welcoming "a ship or two."
Why it matters: The G7 gathering exposes a split screen: European leaders publicly backed Trump's Iran "breakthrough" while Trump threatened to pull U.S. troops from France, the UK, Germany, and Italy over being sidelined on the war — and Russia's largest pre-summit bombardment, killing 11 civilians, signals Moscow has no interest in rewarding the diplomatic push. The Ukraine peace track now competes with the Iran aftermath and the credibility of the U.S.-European alliance itself.
