EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (Jun 17) told a roomful of global leaders “I’m the boss”, as he and other G7 heads acknowledged Ukraine’s improved battlefield fortunes with a unified pledge of support and fresh sanctions against Russia.
Trump’s comment – a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment of an unspoken truth hanging over the June 15 to 17 summit of the Group of Seven Western powers in the French resort of Evian-les-Bains – followed a joint leaders’ statement that could bolster Kyiv’s growing leverage in potential peace talks with Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his allies came to the G7 hoping to convince Trump that Ukraine’s fightback is delivering results, and that Russia is in no position to dictate terms for any peace deal.
The joint statement and comments from leaders suggest Trump has warmed to Zelenskyy’s argument after years of scepticism. This showed a “real change in approach” from the United States regarding the Ukraine war, Macron said, calling the summit a “success.” A G7 summit in Canada last year ended without any joint stance on Ukraine.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said leaders “found common ground (with Trump) and that can’t always be taken for granted,” while Canada’s Mark Carney praised “a change in position on the part of the United States and President Trump.”
Last year Trump had left the G7 summit a day early due to the situation in the Middle East, and leaders seemed relieved he had stayed till the end this time – ahead of a glitzy dinner in the Versailles palace later in the day – and had agreed to several joint statements, from Ukraine to AI and critical minerals.
However, any hopes of strongarming Moscow into peace talks still rely on Trump commitments, which can be elusive.
“I’m the boss,” Trump told G7 chiefs and reporters as he arrived to take his seat at a session on global economic security.