G7 Leaders Voice Cautious Optimism After Trump Tells Russia to Make Ukraine Deal
Trump-Zelenskyy Meeting Sparks Optimism
US President Donald Trump said Russia should make peace with Ukraine after a "very good" meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday, in comments that sparked cautious optimism among G7 leaders that a peace deal could be struck. [1] The upbeat mood over the Ukraine war stands in stark contrast to Zelenskyy's meeting with Trump in the Oval Office last year, when he was told he had no leverage in potential peace talks with Russia. [1] Trump told reporters that too many young men were dying on the battlefield on both sides and that he would do whatever he can to end the conflict. [1] German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Trump's statement that Russia should end the war was cause for cheer. [1] Merz added that he found Trump to be very cooperative and saw him listening very attentively, giving a certain degree of optimism that Europeans and Americans are doing everything they can together to end the war. [1] Zelenskyy showed Trump images of the aftermath of a Russian strike on Kyiv's Pechersk Lavra monastery, after which Trump expressed disapproval. [1]
G7 Discussions on Pressure Against Russia
After the group meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy told Reuters that G7 leaders agreed that Russia was not winning the war. [1] He said they also discussed additional sanctions targeting Russia's oil exports, its banking sector and its military production to bring Moscow to the negotiating table. [1] Zelenskyy said he hoped to meet Trump again and that their teams would be meeting over the course of the next 24 hours at various levels. [1] Zelenskyy said he had offered to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin at the G7 summit, but a Kremlin aide said that did not come up in a call between Trump and Putin. [1] European diplomats said the tone of the meeting had been constructive. [1]
European Push for Increased Support to Ukraine
European leaders have wanted to convince Trump that previous US positions on the possible terms of a deal were overly favourable towards Moscow, particularly now that Ukraine's drone incursions into Russia have improved its fortunes. [1] European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted that the tide is turning for Ukraine and that Russia's fatigue is openly showing, adding that it is time to double down on support. [1] A French diplomat said G7 leaders committed to providing Kyiv with more air defence capabilities. [1] Two European diplomats said that during the meeting Zelenskyy showed Trump images of the aftermath of a Russian strike on Kyiv's Pechersk Lavra monastery, and one diplomat said it had been psychologically a good move by Zelenskyy to show the images. [1]
Trump's Stance on Sanctions and Iran Deal
Two of the diplomats said Trump had been noncommittal on imposing further US sanctions on Moscow. [1] Trump told reporters Washington was now in a position to let Russian oil waivers lapse after an interim accord to end the Iran war soothed markets, but he did not address the question of broader punitive measures. [1] European leaders were also set to warn Trump that an interim deal with Iran risks entrenching Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. [1] President Emmanuel Macron said the aim was to guarantee a solid, serious agreement that is finalised. [1] Tuesday's working lunch focused on the safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran largely closed at the end of February. [1] Leaders also sought to identify alternative routes to bypass the waterway, which Trump said would be completely open on Friday. [1]
Trump's Stance on Sanctions and Iran Deal
Trump said the deal stated loud and clear that Iran would not develop a nuclear weapon. [1] The interim deal should open a 60-day window for complex technical negotiations that would include the fate of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium and the lifting of international sanctions. [1] European allies fear an inexperienced US negotiating team may fail to secure a robust nuclear agreement or address Iran's ballistic missile programme in the next phase, potentially creating a prolonged standoff. [1]
Trump Criticizes Israel's Lebanon Campaign
US President Donald Trump said Israel is fighting Hezbollah too long and too many people are being killed. [3] Trump said you do not have to knock down an apartment house every time you are looking for somebody, noting there are a lot of people in those apartment houses and they are not all Hezbollah. [3] Trump has said that he suggested Syria take care of Hezbollah and that if Israel cannot do the job without killing everyone else, Syria will do the job. [3] Trump said he is not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah. [3] Trump added that Israel would have been blown up a long time ago had he not gotten involved. [3]
Context of Ongoing Global Conflicts
The Ukraine war is now deep into its fifth year. [1] Israel claimed it photographed areas of Iran more than 50,000 times using satellites during a roughly 40-day operation. [4] Israel said it dropped around 18,000 bombs on various targets in Iran during that period. [4] The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has dragged on for 981 days since Hezbollah attacked Israel on October 8. [3] Trump appears frustrated with Israel's continued conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon and has several times suggested that Israel should not be attacking Beirut. [3]
What to watch next: Zelenskyy said their teams will continue to meet and that he thinks they will also meet separately with Trump tomorrow, while G7 leaders are set to examine the safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and alternative routes to bypass the waterway.
