Trump brings Iran ceasefire claim and Ukraine pitch to G7
The US president arrived in eastern France saying an Iran deal could reshape the Middle East and that he may pursue talks on Ukraine and Lebanon.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
US President Donald Trump arrived at the Group of Seven summit in eastern France on Monday promoting a preliminary ceasefire deal with Iran and saying he wants to pursue an end to fighting in Ukraine and Lebanon. Al Jazeera and The Associated Press reported that his arrival in Evian-les-Bains put major wars and US relations with allies at the center of the gathering.
Trump met French President Emmanuel Macron soon after reaching the summit, according to Al Jazeera and AP. He said the Iran agreement announced on Sunday could improve conditions in the Middle East and pointed to falling oil prices and rising stock prices as signs of market approval.
The summit comes as several US partners remain uneasy about Trump’s foreign policy, Al Jazeera and AP reported. Their concerns include new tariff threats against France, Washington’s language on NATO and military support, warnings about immigration and efforts that critics view as politically divisive.
Al Jazeera and AP reported that European leaders have expressed relief over the possibility that the Iran war could end, while also questioning how Washington handled the conflict. Trump has faced criticism from Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over the lack of consultation before the US and Israel began hostilities in late February.
Trump has answered that criticism by faulting NATO allies for not joining the US military campaign, according to Al Jazeera and AP. France, Britain and Germany are understood to have offered help securing the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran is expected to reopen under the deal.
Trump told Macron that some ships were already moving through the strait without paying tolls, Al Jazeera and AP reported. He said he did not expect to need much assistance because the waterway would be open, while also telling Macron that having vessels from several countries there was not a bad idea.
Ukraine and Lebanon on the agenda
After the Iran announcement, Trump said he would turn attention to the war between Russia and Ukraine and to fighting in Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera and AP. He said he had spoken on Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin and believed both were open to progress.
A Ukrainian official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Zelenskyy had offered to meet Putin at the G7 with Trump and European leaders present, but that the Kremlin did not respond. Putin is wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes allegations, and France, as an ICC member, would be required to arrest him if he entered the country, Al Jazeera and AP reported.
The United States and Russia both oppose the International Criminal Court, according to Al Jazeera and AP. The report did not indicate that Putin planned to attend the summit.
The G7 meeting runs through Wednesday, Al Jazeera and AP reported. Along with wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, leaders are expected to discuss global economic imbalances, artificial intelligence, China’s role and control of rare earth minerals used in common electronic devices.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.