The Group of Seven concluded three days of talks in Évian-les-Bains on Wednesday with a joint statement that — unusually — carried the assent of the United States, praising President Donald Trump's agreement with Iran while pledging to intensify sanctions on Russia. The communiqué capped a summit that had opened amid friction over trade and ended with the bloc projecting a measure of unity.
At the centre of the statement was the US-Iran accord, which leaders said had eased a months-long crisis around the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said the digitally agreed deal would be formally signed Friday at a resort in Switzerland, launching a 60-day window for further negotiation over uranium enrichment and sanctions relief. He predicted the second phase would 'be actually easier' than the first.
On Russia, the leaders said they intend to increase sanctions pressure on Moscow's oil and gas sector, framing the calmer outlook for global energy supplies created by the Iran agreement as a reason fresh measures could now bite without spiking prices. The language marked a firmer collective line than the bloc had managed in earlier sessions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who joined the talks, said the summit 'delivered important results,' citing commitments on additional air-defence missiles and production licences alongside winter support packages. 'Russia must come to learn that its war will never be normalised,' he said. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters that 'the tide is turning for Ukraine.'
Trump, pressed on his pledge to help end the war, said only, 'I'm gonna do whatever I can,' while again asserting that Russia should come to the table. His broader claims about settling multiple global conflicts have drawn skepticism from European officials.
The Évian gathering brought together the G7 members — the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada, plus the European Union — and host France also extended invitations to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, reflecting the Gulf's role in the Iran diplomacy. A separate session drew the chief executives of leading artificial-intelligence companies for talks on the technology's risks.
The summit had begun on a more discordant note, with disputes over US tariff threats — including on French wine — overshadowing the opening day. By the close, officials emphasised the consensus reflected in the final text, though the durability of that agreement will be tested as the Iran deal moves to signing and the promised Russia measures are drafted.
Attention now turns to Switzerland, where the Iran accord is due to be formalised on Friday, and to the mechanics of the new sanctions and air-defence pledges that leaders endorsed in the French Alps.