Zelenskyy Presses Trump at G7 as Europeans Fault Iran
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- Zelenskyy arrived at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains (Jun 15-17) to convince Trump that Ukraine's drone incursions have put Russia on the defensive, and disclosed he had offered to meet Putin at the gathering but Putin was "not ready for peace talks."
- Trump said he had "very good conversations" with both Zelenskyy and Putin and believed "maybe we can do something there," arriving at the summit buoyed by a preliminary US-Iran deal with a formal signing targeted for Friday.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters Ukraine was gaining ground and hitting targets deep inside Russia, whose "war economy has never as weak," as European diplomats sought to convince Trump that prior US terms on Ukraine had been overly favorable to Moscow.
- European leaders were set to warn Trump that a superficial interim Iran deal risks entrenching Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, with France, Britain, and Germany demanding a role in the next phase after being sidelined.
- The interim Iran deal is designed to open a 60-day window for complex technical negotiations covering Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium and the lifting of international sanctions.
- Tuesday's G7 working lunch will focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz — largely closed since the US and Israel struck Iran at the end of February — including a possible Franco-British-led maritime mission and alternative energy routes, with leaders from the UAE, Qatar, and Egypt invited to attend.
- Macron said the Iran priority was a "solid, serious agreement that is finalised," while Trump claimed the strait would be "completely open" by Friday.
Why it matters: With the Iran deal not yet formally signed and Putin refusing to meet Zelenskyy, Trump is the only party claiming momentum on both fronts — yet European allies are openly contesting his framing on Ukraine terms and on the adequacy of the Iran accord, putting the US president at odds with the G7 consensus he is trying to lead.
