Trump Signals Shift on Russia at G7 Summit, Backs Tougher Pressure to End Ukraine War

A diplomatic realignment at Évian

Three days of talks at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France concluded on June 17 with a joint statement marking a concrete shift in U.S. policy toward Russia — one European allies had sought since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago.reuters U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed the group's unified call to increase pressure on Russia through expanded sanctions, additional air-defence deliveries to Kyiv, and new licences for Ukrainian firms to manufacture long-range missiles and air-defence systems.rfi +1

French President Emmanuel Macron described a "very deep change in the US approach" toward Ukraine, saying Trump had acknowledged that Russian President Vladimir Putin had shown "no genuine willingness" to discuss peace.france24 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the final statement "a success", while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said there was "no friction or divergence" among leaders on Ukraine — a sharp contrast to last year's G7 in Canada, where the group failed to produce any joint position on the war.rfi

Sanctions teeth: oil and fossil-fuel revenues

The leaders' communiqué committed the seven powers to "increase the pressure on the Russian war economy" by strengthening sanctions, with explicit focus on Moscow's fossil-fuel revenues.politico Trump told reporters on the sidelines that Washington could reinstate oil sanctions on Russia — measures the administration had earlier suspended to cool energy prices during the U.S.-Iran conflict.politico "We took sanctions off because obviously we're not looking to impede the oil. But we're in a position to do that soon," he said.politico The European Commission has separately proposed freezing the G7 price cap on Russian crude at $44 per barrel in its 21st sanctions package, currently under negotiation.politico

The United Kingdom announced fresh energy sanctions against Moscow on the summit's opening day, while Canada unveiled measures targeting 162 individuals, entities, and vessels described as assets of "the Russian war machine".politico

Putin's calculus and the limits of the pivot

Despite the show of unity, caution pervaded post-summit assessments. Trump praised his recent phone conversation with Putin and said both leaders "want to do something, they just don't know how to do it" — language that left open how firmly Washington would sustain the pressure.reuters The Kremlin claimed European leaders had "pumped" Trump with "harmful ideas" at Évian, signalling Moscow's displeasure with the closing statement's harder edge.yahoo

Zelensky, who attended the summit in person, called a subsequent three-way call with Trump and Macron "pivotal", suggesting Kyiv senses genuine momentum.msn European diplomats, however, cautioned that securing a robust and lasting agreement still depends on commitments that — with Trump — can be "elusive".reuters