US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he had good talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the G-7 summit in the French resort of Evian-les-Bains.
The statement was made to journalists on the sidelines of the forum, where the leaders of Ukraine and Kiev's European allies tried to convince the US president that the positions of the Ukrainian army had improved thanks to successful drone strikes deep inside Russian territory.
Asked if he believed the Russian president bore greater responsibility for the war in Ukraine, Trump declined to give a direct assessment.
"I don't want to comment on that because I'm trying to achieve a settlement of the conflict, and comments like that don't make the process easier," he said he.
The American president did not make a specific commitment regarding the possible imposition of new sanctions against Russia.
"We are looking at this issue. We are watching how far the price of oil will fall. It is really falling significantly", Trump said.
The topic of additional sanctions against Moscow is among the main issues discussed at the G-7 meeting. Some European leaders are insisting on increasing economic pressure on Russia, while Washington has not yet announced a final position on the issue.
The meeting in Evian-les-Bains is taking place against the backdrop of ongoing fighting in Ukraine and diplomatic efforts to find a path to a possible peaceful settlement of the conflict.
The United States and European G-7 member states will produce long-range missiles "under license" in Ukraine, announced German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and a diplomat at the Evian summit, reported Agence France-Presse.
"We will produce not only air defense systems, but also military equipment that is capable of striking deep into enemy territory (long-range missiles, ed.)", the diplomat said on the sidelines of the meeting.
"A very strong commitment that the G7 countries made is to produce military equipment at a faster pace and under license in Ukraine", the diplomatic official also noted.
American companies can provide licenses to European manufacturers to boost production, Friedrich Merz told journalists, stating that he was "very grateful to President Trump for his willingness to cooperate in this way".
"Currently we produce too little and this can be compensated by European companies and Ukrainian enterprises will be granted licenses, the diplomat added.
The heads of state and prime ministers of the G7 countries said in a joint declaration that they had agreed to "increase the production of military equipment for air defense, interceptor systems and drones, as well as long-range missiles". They expressed readiness "to provide Ukraine with licenses that will help it increase its military production".
Ukraine produces some types of long-range missiles, such as "Flamingo" and "Neptune" and receives French "Scalp" cruise missiles from its European allies. and the British "Storm Shadow", but in small quantities.
So far, the United States has not delivered the "Tomahawk" missiles that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had hoped to receive, AFP recalls. Germany, for its part, has refused to deliver its "Taurus" missiles, fearing that such a move would lead to an escalation with Russia, which is a nuclear power.
Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russia, carried out mainly with drones and targeting transport infrastructure and fuel storage facilities, in an attempt to limit Moscow's ability to finance the war. The country is regularly subjected to massive strikes by Russia and is experiencing a shortage of air defense systems. Kiev is demanding that its European allies supply similar equipment, mainly American "Patriot" systems.