G7: Leaders discuss economy, AI security risks
French President Emmanuel Macron met Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the gate to walk him to the G7 venue in Evian. A friendly hug and
French President Emmanuel Macron met Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the gate to walk him to the G7 venue in Evian. A friendly hug and then Macron kept stopping along the long garden path, as if to prepare Zelenskyy on what to expect. It seemed awkward, with Macron having one hand in his pocket as if casually mansplaining the world to the Ukrainian president, himsely visibly strained by four years of war against Russia's aggression. Inside the G7 meeting room, more than half an hour passed with leaders from Germany, the UK, Japan, Canada, Italy and the EU laughing and chatting as if at a school reunion while they waited for Macron, Trump and Zelenskyy.
Clearly, the Italian prime minister was having the most fun, cracking jokes, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz checked his watch. There was a professional focus by the leaders on appearing like they were not waiting, while in fact they certainly were — for Zelenskyy and Macron to conclude their bilateral chat, and for US President Donald Trump to simply show up. This first session on Ukraine is an important gathering for Kyiv and its E3 allies to pitch their preferred route toward meaningful peace talks.
Germany, France, Britain and Ukraine tabled "five conditions for a just and lasting peace" that would entail An immediate ceasefire The current line of contact as a starting point for territorial talks Security guarantees A continuation of the freezing of Russian assets A say for European and NATO countries if any of their security interests are impacted by the negotiations It is unlikely that Trump will openly agree to preconditions, let alone sign up to them. But this is the best shot Ukraine and its allies have to convince Trump that Europe being at peace talks is the only chance to achieve an agreement that can stand the test of political reality.
The current state of the framework agreement on Iran suggests that this is not a priority for the US at this moment in time.
The BriefWire