G7 summit: Ukraine and Iran head agenda

Published 16 June 2026 · europe

A newly announced preliminary agreement between Washington and Tehran is raising cautious optimism among European leaders that a "very costly" confrontation could finally be brought

A newly announced preliminary agreement between Washington and Tehran is raising cautious optimism among European leaders that a "very costly" confrontation could finally be brought to an end and that the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened. "Implementation is the priority," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Evian ahead of the G7 summit, where the deal is expected to be widely discussed. While Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy, the so-called E4, have expressed their willingness to lift sanctions on Iran, von der Leyen made clear that any such move would depend on measurable change on the ground and insisted on strict conditions before sanctions are eased.

"We have a framework of sanctions that is responding to two main features: the violation of human rights and weapons of mass destruction," she said. "The principle of sanctions is that we need real change on the ground before we can think about lifting them. Sanctions are in place to change behavior." Von der Leyen said Iran must fundamentally change its behaviour before any EU sanctions can be ⁠lifted Image: Michael Kappeler/dpa/picture alliance Von der Leyen, alongside European Council President Antonio Costa, is representing the European Union at the summit and setting the tone at the Hotel Royal even before heads of state and government arrive.

The Commission president added that any easing of restrictions would require credible and verifiable progress. "If behavior is changing credibly and verifiably, sanctions can be ended — but the other way around is also true," she said. "As long as there is no behavioral change, you cannot lift the sanctions because of human rights violations and and weapons of mass descstruction." At the G7 summit, one key question will be what exactly US President Donald Trump expects from European partners to help secure and sustain the Iran agreement. On Ukraine, attention will turn to whether the agreement between Iran and the United States could generate fresh momentum for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Much will likely depend on whether Trump re-engages diplomatically — and whether Europeans can secure a meaningful seat at the table. In Brussels, the open question remains whether the EU has a convincing strategy to persuade Washington that its involvement is essential to any lasting settlement.