(TNND) — The war between the United States and Iran overshadowed discussions on Ukraine Tuesday at the Group of Seven summit in France, as President Donald Trump devoted significant attention on day two to a newly announced ceasefire agreement and lingering tensions across the Middle East.
While European leaders sought to refocus attention on Russia’s war in Ukraine, Trump remained largely focused on the aftermath of the three-and-a-half-month conflict with Iran. But according to the Associated Press, Trump told fellow leaders he expected Iran would soon be “back in the rearview mirror” and that he wanted to turn more attention to Ukraine.
Trump announced over the weekend that a U.S.-brokered peace deal with Iran was “complete” and that the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy transit routes, had reopened to international shipping. Vice President JD Vance later confirmed a preliminary agreement had been signed and said the text would be released this week.
Trump held bilateral talks Tuesday with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and was scheduled to meet later with United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Neither nation is a member of the G7, but French President Emmanuel Macron invited both leaders to participate amid continuing regional tensions.
Yet Ukraine struggled to break through the summit’s Middle East agenda despite a major Russian assault. Hours before the summit began, Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukrainian cities, killing at least 11 people and setting fire to a religious landmark.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined G7 leaders for a morning working session Tuesday, but discussions concluded after just 75 minutes, according to the French G7 presidency.
Despite receiving less attention than the conflict in the Middle East, Ukraine remained on the leaders’ agenda. G7 leaders agreed to increase pressure on Russia and bolster support for Kyiv, according to a French diplomat familiar with the talks.
The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because discussions were ongoing, said leaders — including Trump — agreed to increase sanctions targeting Russia’s oil and natural gas sectors and endorsed a common position to provide Ukraine with additional air defense capabilities and other means of protection.
The diplomat described the discussion on Ukraine as “very fruitful.”
Still, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, now in its fifth year, has increasingly been eclipsed by developments in the Middle East. The United States has scaled back some assistance to Kyiv, while France and its European allies have become the largest providers of military and financial support to Ukraine.
Ukraine also formally opened membership negotiations with the European Union on Monday, a step Kyiv views as critical to its long-term security.
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Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.
