Trump Emphasizes Dominance at G7 Summit, Warms to Ukraine

European Union and Group of Seven leaders on Wednesday pledged unanimous support for Ukraine and new sanctions against Russia, with U.S. President Trump saying at the summit "I'm the boss."

The comment came during the G7 summit held in Évian-les-Bains, France, from June 15 to 17, following a joint statement that could further strengthen Ukraine's bargaining position in potential peace talks with Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his allies aimed to convince Trump that Ukraine's counteroffensive is making progress and that Russia cannot dictate terms in any peace agreement.

The joint statement and leaders' remarks showed Trump warming to Zelenskyy's arguments after years of skepticism. French President Emmanuel Macron said this reflects a "real change in attitude" from the U.S. on Ukraine, calling the summit a "success." In contrast, last year's G7 summit in Canada failed to reach a common position on Ukraine.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said leaders "found common ground" with Trump, which is not always guaranteed. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney praised the U.S. and Trump for their "change in stance."

Last year, Trump left the G7 summit a day early due to Middle East developments, but this year he attended throughout and was scheduled to later dine at the Palace of Versailles. At this summit, joint statements were reached on Ukraine, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and other topics, to the apparent relief of leaders.

However, any prospect of forcing Moscow to the negotiating table still depends on Trump's commitments, which are often unpredictable.

"I'm the boss," Trump said as he took his seat at the global economic security meeting, addressing leaders and reporters.

Trump's Iran deal sets the tone for talks

G7 leaders also welcomed the preliminary peace deal between the U.S. and Iran and expressed willingness to help implement it, but Trump made no specific commitments about the roles they could play.

European allies fear that an inexperienced U.S. negotiating team may fail to secure a solid nuclear deal in the next phase or resolve Iran's ballistic missile program, leading to prolonged confrontation.

Meanwhile, Trump stressed that the memorandum of understanding with Iran is not a final deal, and the U.S. could resume bombing if Iran fails to comply.

"If I don't like it, if they're not honest, we'll immediately resume bombing and drop bombs right on top of their heads," he said.

Although European allies publicly support the preliminary deal, diplomats warn that reaching a lasting agreement on Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missile program, and its support for proxy forces in the Middle East is no easy task.