G7 Summit Focuses on Ukraine and Iran; Trump Says 'I'm the Boss'

The European Union and G7 leaders unanimously pledged support for Ukraine and imposed new sanctions on Russia on Wednesday. US President Trump said at the summit, 'I'm the boss,' drawing attention.

The remark came during the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, held June 15-17, following a joint statement that could further strengthen Ukraine's leverage in potential peace talks with Russia.

The goal of Ukrainian President Zelensky and his allies was to convince Trump that Ukraine's counteroffensive is yielding results and that Russia cannot dominate the terms of any peace deal.

The joint statement and leaders' comments showed that Trump, after years of skepticism, has moved toward accepting Zelensky's arguments. French President Macron said this reflected a 'real shift in attitude' by the US on Ukraine and called the summit a 'success.' In contrast, last year's G7 summit in Canada failed to produce a common stance on Ukraine.

Italian Prime Minister Meloni said the leaders and Trump 'found common ground, which is not always a given.' Canadian Prime Minister Carney praised the US and Trump for the 'shift in position.'

Last year, Trump left the G7 summit a day early due to Middle East tensions, but this year he attended the entire event and was scheduled to attend a dinner at the Palace of Versailles later. The leaders were visibly relieved that the summit produced joint statements on Ukraine, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and other issues.

However, any prospect of forcing Moscow into peace talks still depends on Trump's commitments, which are often difficult to pin down.

'I'm the boss,' Trump told leaders and reporters as he took his seat at the global economic security meeting.

Trump's Iran Deal Sets Tone for Talks

G7 leaders also welcomed the preliminary peace agreement between the US and Iran and expressed willingness to help implement it, but Trump did not make specific commitments about the role of the parties.

European allies worry that the inexperienced US negotiating team may not be able to secure a robust nuclear deal in the next phase or address Iran's ballistic missile program, leading to a prolonged standoff.

Meanwhile, Trump emphasized that the memorandum of understanding with Iran is not a final agreement, and the US may resume bombing if Iran fails to meet its commitments.

'If I don't like it, if they're not honest, we'll resume bombing immediately and drop bombs right in the middle of their heads,' he said.

Although European allies publicly supported the preliminary agreement, diplomats warned that achieving a lasting deal on Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missile program, and support for proxy forces in the Middle East will not be easy.