French President Emmanuel Macron has officially confirmed that Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend the G7 summit, which will take place in southeastern France. The leaders' meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16. The Ukrainian president's main task will be to restore a unified approach among participating countries regarding support for Kyiv.

Restoring consensus

According to Macron, Zelenskyy's presence is critical for coordinating the actions of Western partners. As Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tikhyy noted during a briefing, Europe needs to regain the lost consensus within the G7 on all aspects of the war. In particular, this concerns the necessity of conducting negotiations.

These statements indirectly indicate the existence of disagreements between European countries and the US administration, led by Donald Trump, regarding the strategy of supporting Ukraine.

Expanded summit format

The G7 summit kicks off on Monday, June 15, in the resort town of Évian. Invited to the meeting are not only the permanent members of the alliance but also leaders from Middle Eastern countries: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. This is due to the escalating situation in the region.

Key topics on the agenda will include:

  • The war in the Middle East and prospects for its resolution.
  • The threat of closing the Strait of Hormuz, which directly affects the global economy and fuel prices.
  • Negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged summit participants to place the protection of human rights at the center of their discussions.

Meeting with the American leader

A separate issue remains the possibility of a personal contact between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump. Georgiy Tikhyy reported that the leaders' schedules are still in the stage of coordination. Kyiv remains ready for dialogue with Washington, however, final decisions on the format of meetings will be made in the near future.

The Foreign Ministry representative reminded that the Ukrainian president has already communicated with representatives of the Trump administration. Kyiv is counting on "good news" during the summit. Meanwhile, EU leaders intend to take the initiative for negotiations on ending the full-scale war into their own hands, coordinating their actions with Washington.