The leaders of the leading countries in the world economy from the G-7 format will discuss a number of issues today at the summit in the French city of Evian, which will also be attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the invitation of the host France, the Associated Press reported, BTA reported.
The main topics of the meeting will be the end of Russia's war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East. The discussions on Ukraine will take place immediately after US President Donald Trump announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Iran, ending the 3 and a half month war between the two countries.
In recent weeks, the conflict in Iran has overshadowed the war in Ukraine, which Russian President Vladimir Putin started more than four years ago, the AP points out. Trump said he had productive talks on Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"Now that we're done with Iran, we're going to look at that," Trump said during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
For his part, Macron said he would try to convince Trump to continue supporting Ukraine and to increase pressure on Russia to reach a peace agreement between Moscow and Kiev.
"The right negotiations are those where Russia and Ukraine are at the table, where the Europeans and the Americans are present," Macron stressed in a statement broadcast on French television.
Hours before the start of the G7 summit, Russia fired thousands of drones and dozens of missiles at major Ukrainian cities, killing at least 11 people and damaging the "Assumption of the Virgin" Cathedral. – the largest temple in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra monastery complex.
The Russian strikes on the largest Ukrainian cities came after Zelensky and Putin held phone calls with Trump, who turned 80 on Sunday. They suggest that Washington has not given up on diplomatic initiatives to end the war in Ukraine.
Yesterday, Ukraine officially began negotiations for membership in the European Union, thus setting in motion a lengthy process that requires the Ukrainian government to implement long-standing reforms in the face of the Russian invasion.
Ukraine views eventual EU membership as a guarantee of a stable future after the end of the war. The best security guarantee for the Ukrainian side would be NATO membership, but the US government insists that is impossible, and others are skeptical about Kiev joining the alliance while the war continues.
Part of the agenda of the landmark event in the French resort town of Evian will be a working meeting dedicated to "ending crises" and the "guarantees for stability in the Middle East", which will include the leaders of Qatar, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
In recent months, Trump has had sharp disagreements with Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as he did not take their opinions into account before starting the war in Iran, the AP notes.
As a result, Trump has threatened retaliatory measures, including the withdrawal of US troops from all four countries for their lack of support for the US in the Middle East.
Despite these disagreements, the US president's tone in Evian is expected to be more restrained, as the US seeks rapid progress that could alleviate the economic consequences of the increase in oil prices caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
"I think a lot of great things are going to happen "There are a lot of things happening in the Middle East and it's really important that oil prices have dropped dramatically and the market has shot up like a rocket," Trump said.
Before the start of the G-7 meeting, the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Canada and Britain issued a joint statement congratulating the United States, the Iranian government and the mediators for the "diplomatic breakthrough". The leaders said it was paramount to hold more in-depth negotiations on the implementation of the agreement so that the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened to shipping, the AP emphasized.
Macron later said that France and other Western countries "are ready to take action very quickly" to help fully open the strait.