By The Moscow Times | Created at 2026-06-16 15:45:21 | Updated at 2026-06-16 18:52:04
3 hours ago
G7 leaders agreed Tuesday to intensify pressure on Russia to end its war against Ukraine, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that Moscow should "make a deal."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joined the world leaders at the summit in the French resort of Evian-les-Bains. The meeting brought Zelensky face-to-face with Trump, who has sought to reach out to Russian President Vladimir Putin but has also shown recent signs of losing patience with Moscow.
"Leaders decided today to increase the pressure on Russia through sanctions on gas and oil," a French diplomatic source told AFP after the talks, adding that the leaders agreed there "is a dynamic on the ground that benefits Ukraine."
The war has now lasted longer than World War I, and while Ukraine is seen as holding up well on the battlefield, its cities remain the target of deadly Russian strikes.
French President Emmanuel Macron invited Zelensky to stay until the conclusion of the three-day summit on Wednesday to continue meeting with Trump and other G7 leaders.
"Russia should make a deal" to end the war against Ukraine, Trump said after meeting with Zelensky, pointing to the high casualties on both sides of the conflict. "The whole thing is ridiculous. So, yeah, I'm going to do whatever I can."
Zelensky wrote in a post on X following the meetings that Ukraine's priorities are "clear," including increasing its stockpile of air defense missiles, securing a "winter support package" and "cranking up pressure on Russia."
"It's great that everybody understands that Russia is not winning, and we have to push Putin to end this war," Zelensky said during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
On Monday, Zelensky had urged a "decisive and substantive" response from G7 leaders following a wave of Russian strikes that killed at least 11 people and ignited a fire at a historic cathedral in Kyiv.
Read more about: G7
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