Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Leaders from the world’s top seven industrialized nations (G7) meeting in Evian-les-Bains, France, are holding their first full day of talks
- The agenda is expected to be dominated by the wars in Iran and Ukraine
- The summit will see member states attempt to navigate relations with US President Donald Trump, who has variously criticized them for taking advantage of the US on trade and being unwilling to help the US war effort in Iran
- Host Emmanuel Macron has also invited leaders from Egypt, Qatar, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates to attend the session
Read below for the latest headlines, videos and analyses on the G7 summit from Tuesday, June 16 and Monday, June 15.
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Skip next section How Europeans are dealing with Trump and the key questions for Ukraine — DW’s Brussels Bureau Chief06/16/2026June 16, 2026
How Europeans are dealing with Trump and the key questions for Ukraine — DW’s Brussels Bureau Chief
Katharina Kroll in Evian-les-Bains
This was an extremely important meeting for President Volodymr Zelenskyy and for Ukraine – with the G7 leaders here in the picturesque resort town of Evian this morning. The Europeans had come very well prepared for this meeting and had coordinated closely with the Ukrainian president. The key questions were clear: How much would US President Donald Trump support efforts to increase pressure on Russia to finally enter serious peace negotiations? And how much would Trump acknowledge that there can be no peace deal without the Europeans?
The G7 agreed that Russia is under heavy pressure and that Ukraine’s situation has clearly improved. That’s what we are hearing here from German government sources. And Europe reportedly presented a very united front: “The dynamics have changed, Ukraine is in a position of strength. Russia cannot win the war and Russia is under pressure. In that respect, we have observed a change in tone,” a source told DW.
After the meeting with Zelenskyy and the other G7 leaders, Trump said: “Russia should make a deal.” At the very least, this is seems to be a positive sign.
Earlier, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had presented a delayed birthday gift to the most important man at the table. Just in time for the FIFA World Cup, a German national team shirt with the number 47 on the back. Trump, the 47th President of the United States of America, had celebrated his 80th birthday on Sunday. Efforts on all levels are visible — all aimed at keeping the unpredictable US president in a good mood.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FVlhSkip next section G7 leaders hold ‘very fruitful’ talks on Ukraine — diplomat06/16/2026June 16, 2026
G7 leaders hold ‘very fruitful’ talks on Ukraine — diplomat
G7 leaders have agreed during “very fruitful” talks over Ukraine to put more pressure on Russia amid its full-scale invasion of its neighbor, according to a French diplomat cited by several news agencies.
The diplomat said the leaders, including US President Donald Trump, had agreed to use sanctions on Russia’s oil and natural gas sectors to up the pressure on Moscow.
According to the diplomat, the leaders also agreed on a common position to support Ukraine by providing additional air defense capabilities and other means of protection.
European countries are now the biggest providers of military aid to Ukraine since the US under Trump reduced direct arms support.
The meeting was attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has often called for more air defense equipment to combat massive aerial attacks from Russia, often targeting civilian infrastructure.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FVdMSkip next section ‘All hell will rain down’ on Iran if it gets nuclear weapon — Trump06/16/2026June 16, 2026
‘All hell will rain down’ on Iran if it gets nuclear weapon — Trump
US President Donald Trump has said that a framework peace deal in the works with Iran focused on preventing the country from gaining a nuclear weapon, threatening “all hell” would rain down on it if it did.
“The only thing that really matters to me is Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and it says it loud and clear,” he told reporters at the G7 summit in France.
The framework agreement struck by the US and Iran on Sunday reportedly extends the current ceasefire between the sides for 60 days to allow peace negotiations to take place.
The Iranian state-run Tasnim news agency has cited Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying another round of talks, to be concluded within those 60 days, will begin after the deal is signed on Friday in Switzerland.
Following talks with the emir of Qatar at the summit, Trump also said the US was “not investing any money” in Iran.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FVKQSkip next section ‘Russia should make a deal’ — Trump at G7 summit06/16/2026June 16, 2026
‘Russia should make a deal’ — Trump at G7 summit
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that “Russia should make a deal” to end its war against Ukraine.
The US leader also said he was going to do “whatever I can” on Ukraine.
He made the comment to reporters after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the G7 summit in France, saying more talks were planned later in the day.
European leaders are trying to persuade Trump to give more support to Kyiv as it fights Russia’s full-scale invasion, launched in February 2022.
Trump has in the past voiced severe criticism of Zelenkskyy.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FVGuSkip next section Merz gives Trump a Germany football jersey06/16/2026June 16, 2026
Merz gives Trump a Germany football jersey
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has given US President Donald Trump a Germany football jersey as a present upon the latter’s (late) arrival at the first meeting of the day on Tuesday.
The jersey bears Trump’s last name and the number 47 — Trump is the 47th president of the US.
In a post on X, Merz published photos of the handover, wishing Trump “a happy belated 80th birthday.”
Trump celebrated his birthday on Sunday.
European leaders as a whole are likely to try to use any means possible to bring the US leader on side amid differences over Ukraine and Iran.
Germany has started its World Cup campaign in the US with a 7-1 victory against newcomer Curacao in Houston.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FUOnSkip next section What’s happening behind the scenes in Evian-les-Bains? DW’s chief political editor gives us a glimpse06/16/2026June 16, 2026
What’s happening behind the scenes in Evian-les-Bains? DW’s chief political editor gives us a glimpse
Michaela Kuefner Evian-les-Bains, France
French President Emmanuel Macron met Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the gate to walk him to the G7 venue in Evian. A friendly hug and then Macron kept stopping along the long garden path, as if to prepare Zelenskyy on what to expect. It seemed awkward, with Macron having one hand in his pocket as if casually mansplaining the world to the Ukrainian president, himsely visibly strained by four years of war against Russia’s aggression.
Inside the G7 meeting room, more than half an hour passed with leaders from Germany, the UK, Japan, Canada, Italy and the EU laughing and chatting as if at a school reunion while they waited for Macron, Trump and Zelenskyy.
Clearly, the Italian prime minister was having the most fun, cracking jokes, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz checked his watch. There was a professional focus by the leaders on appearing like they were not waiting, while in fact they certainly were — for Zelenskyy and Macron to conclude their bilateral chat, and for US President Donald Trump to simply show up.
This first session on Ukraine is an important gathering for Kyiv and its E3 allies to pitch their preferred route toward meaningful peace talks.
Germany, France, Britain and Ukraine tabled “five conditions for a just and lasting peace” that would entail:
- An immediate ceasefire
- The current line of contact as a starting point for territorial talks
- Security guarantees
- A continuation of the freezing of Russian assets
- A say for European and NATO countries if any of their security interests are impacted by the negotiations
It is unlikely that Trump will openly agree to preconditions, let alone sign up to them. But this is the best shot Ukraine and its allies have to convince Trump that Europe being at peace talks is the only chance to achieve an agreement that can stand the test of political reality.
The current state of the framework agreement on Iran suggests that this is not a priority for the US at this moment in time.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FUO3Skip next section Ukraine’s Zelenskyy welcomed by Macron06/16/2026June 16, 2026
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy welcomed by Macron
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Evian-les-Bains and been greeted by his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, who is hosting this year’s G7 summit.
Much of Tuesday morning is to be given over to discussion on how to end Russia’s more than four-year-long full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
European leaders will be seeking to gain more support for Ukraine from the US, which, under the Trump administration, has been reticent with its aid to Kyiv.
US President Donald Trump himself, who is also attending the meeting, said on Monday that he was ready to focus more on Ukraine after announcing a preliminary peace deal with Iran.
Trump said he had good conversations on Sunday with Zelenskyy and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FU9PSkip next section Welcome back to our G7 coverage06/16/2026June 16, 2026
Welcome back to our G7 coverage
Timothy Jones | Rana Taha Editor
Good morning from the DW newsroom in Bonn as we start of our coverage of what is shaping up to be a full day for the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France on Tuesday.
Leaders from the group, which comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, plus the EU, will be joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
And it will be his country, which has been under attack from its neighbor, Russia, since early 2022, that will be at the center of the first discussions.
It remains to be seen if Europe and the US can patch over differences in their attitude to this war, which many European leaders see as a wider threat to security on the continent.
US President Donald Trump, who is attending the summit, has pledged to focus on the Ukraine crisis following the preliminary plan of a peace deal with Iran after a 3 1/2-month war.
However, the continued fallout from that conflict in the Middle East will also be on the agenda, with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to join the talks.
We invite you to read on for more details on this important summit, which comes at a time of huge global challenges needing close international cooperation to master them.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FTtHSkip next section Trump arrives on time as G7 set to open: EU pushes Ukraine track06/15/2026June 15, 2026
Trump arrives on time as G7 set to open: EU pushes Ukraine track
Katharina Kroll in Evian
For a while, a quiet uncertainty hung over this summit – would he actually come? In the end, Donald Trump showed up right on time.
The US president arrived punctually at the Hotel Royal ahead of the G7 summit. Fresh from an extravagant 80th birthday celebration, Trump appeared relaxed as he briefly addressed waiting cameras before disappearing inside.
As this year’s G7 summit officially opens Monday evening, the agenda is dense.
One key question will be how Trump responds to a new European initiative – led by Germany, France and the United Kingdom – to revive peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, with both the United States and Europe at the table. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to join G7 leaders on Tuesday morning, Is there a momentum for a new approach?
As G7 leaders arrive in Evian, EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg have formally launched accession talks with Ukraine. This marks a key milestone for Kyiv after more than two years of delays due to Hungary’s blockade. “Today we are taking a historic step towards the integration of Ukraine into the European Union,” said European Council President Antonio Costa in Evian. “This is a huge step forward,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. “Kyiv has delivered and now the EU must deliver too.”
Overall, Ukraine is currently seen as being in a strong position. “Ukraine is holding the front line and even partially regaining territory,” von der Leyen said. “On the other hand, Russia is feeling the strain and pressure. Our sanctions are biting and cutting deep.”
Maintaining that pressure through continued support for Ukraine and additional sanctions on Russia remains the core strategy of the Europeans and their partners, with the aim of pushing President Vladimir Putin towards meaningful peace negotiations.
The question now here in Evian is what Trump will bring to the table. G7 leaders are expected to listen closely to his account of a recent phone call with Putin, who reportedly congratulated him on his birthday just a day earlier.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5FSUmSkip next section EU ties Iran sanctions relief to verifiable change 06/15/2026June 15, 2026
EU ties Iran sanctions relief to verifiable change
Katharina Kroll in Evian
A newly announced preliminary agreement between Washington and Tehran is raising cautious optimism among European leaders that a “very costly” confrontation could finally be brought to an end and that the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened.
“Implementation is the priority,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Evian ahead of the G7 summit, where the deal is expected to be widely discussed.
While Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy, the so-called E4, have expressed their willingness to lift sanctions on Iran, von der Leyen made clear that any such move would depend on measurable change on the ground and insisted on strict conditions before sanctions are eased.
“We have a framework of sanctions that is responding to two main features: the violation of human rights and weapons of mass destruction,” she said. “The principle of sanctions is that we need real change on the ground before we can think about lifting them. Sanctions are in place to change behavior.”
Von der Leyen, alongside European Council President Antonio Costa, is representing the European Union at the summit and setting the tone at the Hotel Royal even before heads of state and government arrive.
The Commission president added that any easing of restrictions would require credible and verifiable progress.
“If behavior is changing credibly and verifiably, sanctions can be ended — but the other way around is also true,” she said. “As long as there is no behavioral change, you cannot lift the sanctions because of human rights violations and and weapons of mass descstruction.”
At the G7 summit, one key question will be what exactly US President Donald Trump expects from European partners to help secure and sustain the Iran agreement.
On Ukraine, attention will turn to whether the agreement between Iran and the United States could generate fresh momentum for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Much will likely depend on whether Trump re-engages diplomatically — and whether Europeans can secure a meaningful seat at the table.
In Brussels, the open question remains whether the EU has a convincing strategy to persuade Washington that its involvement is essential to any lasting settlement.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FSL1Skip next section Macron slams Trump tariff threat: ‘That’s not how it works’06/15/2026June 15, 2026
Macron slams Trump tariff threat: ‘That’s not how it works’
When France’s TF1 television on Monday asked whether he would give in to Donald Trump’s demands to scrap a digital services tax on global tech giants, French President Emmanuel Macron replied: “no, because that’s not how it works.”
“This digital tax, decided by Europeans, implemented by several countries, is part of our law,” said Macron, adding, “It’s not the United States that decides European law.”
“We will have a respectful but firm discussion,” Macron told the broadcaster, saying, “tariffs don’t do anyone any good, especially tariffs between G7 countries.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5FS1oSkip next section Trump threatens France with 100% tariffs before arriving for G706/15/2026June 15, 2026
Trump threatens France with 100% tariffs before arriving for G7
US President Donald Trump on Monday said he would “have no choice” but to apply 100% tariffs on French wine if Paris refuses to bend to his will and eliminate its digital tax on American tech companies.
Trump, in an interview with the New York Post, said he delivered the warning to French President Emmanuel Macron directly, demanding Macron remove France’s 3% tax on US tech giants or face duties in the American market.
“I asked him not to charge American companies, and if they do, I have no choice but to charge a 100% tariff on all champagnes and all wines coming out of France,” Trump told the tabloid.
“All [Macron] has to do is get rid of the sales tax, and he wouldn’t have that kind of pressure,” he added.
Neither White House nor Elysee officials have commented further on Trump’s threat.
French wine and spirits exporters called it bad news for their export-dependent industry as Trump continues to disrupt global trade relations with his tariffs.
Alcohol is among the EU’s top exports to the US, accounting for some €9 billion ($10.5 billion) in business in 2024.
EU wines and spirits currently face a 15% import tariff in the US — a rate that Paris has been lobbying to reduce to zero since Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed to a US-EU trade deal last summer.
France slapped a 3% levy on digital services revenues earned in the country back in 2019.
The tariff applies only to companies with revenues in excess of €25 million in France and €750 million worldwide.
“This digital tax, decided by Europeans, implemented by several countries, is part of our law,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview on French TV channel TF1, reacting to Trump’s threat. “It’s not the United States that decides on the Europeans’ law.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5FQzVSkip next section G7 Summit in Evian: Macron’s global stage – and all eyes on Trump’s arrival06/15/2026June 15, 2026
G7 Summit in Evian: Macron’s global stage – and all eyes on Trump’s arrival
Katharina Kroll in Evian
The G7 summit is the big stage for French President Emmanuel Macron this year. The first guests have already arrived at the historic Hotel Royal in Evian, among them Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Brazil is not part of the exclusive G7 club, which includes France, the United States, Germany, the UK, Japan, Italy and Canada. But Macron has deliberately invited a number of key partners beyond the group, expanding the table for some meetings at this summit.
Red carpets, bright sunshine, a sweeping view of the Alps and the deep blue waters of Lake Geneva – the setting is picture-perfect. There is also a sense of relief: just hours before the summit, US President Donald Trump and Iran announced a framework agreement aimed at ending their conflict.
That deal is expected to dominate discussions in Evian, not least because of what it means for Europe. The focus will be on how European countries can support the agreement and contribute to stabilizing the region.
For Trump, the deal is a political success. The unpredictable guest of the summit could therefore arrive in a positive mood. European leaders will be hoping to use that momentum, with the aim of steering the US president’s attention back to Ukraine.
How new peace talks between Russia and Ukraine can be launched, with the US and European allies working together, will be a key question. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to arrive in Evian on Tuesday morning, adding urgency to those discussions.
The elegant conference hotel itself is completely sealed off. Here, the leaders have the time and space to focus on major global challenges away from the public eye and political noise.
Around the Hotel Royal, security is at its highest level. Without proper clearance, there is no access. Checkpoints block roads within a radius of several kilometers.
For locals, daily life has come to a halt. “Everything is blocked,” says one restaurant owner. Residents, he adds, are frustrated by constant controls and are largely staying at home.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FR2FSkip next section Evian-les-Bains, the town hosting the G7 summit06/15/2026June 15, 2026
Evian-les-Bains, the town hosting the G7 summit
The lakeside town of Evian-les-Bains, which French President Emmanuel Macron chose as the site of his last G7 summit as host, is nestled at the foot of the Alps at Lake Geneva.
It is a spa town in eastern France’s Haute-Savoie region and located on the southern shore of Lake Geneva, directly across from Switzerland.
It has a population of just under 10,000.
Despite being such a small town, Evian’s thermal springs, lakeside setting and Belle Epoque architecture have attracted visitors for centuries.
It was also here that the Evian Accords ending France’s war in Algeria were signed, and with that, the recognition of Algerian independence.
Evian-les-Bains is perhaps best known for the eponymous mineral water brand sourced from its springs — which originate from rainwater and snowmelt naturally filtered through glacial moraine and alpine rock layers.
The Evian mineral water brand is owned by French company Danone, which produces some 6 million bottles per day.
Evian last hosted a G7 summit in 2003 — when the group included Russia and was known as the G8 — where leaders gathered in hopes of patching transatlantic relations frayed by the US invasion of Iraq.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FQkXSkip next section Read: Protests underway ahead of G7 summit06/15/2026June 15, 2026
Read: Protests underway ahead of G7 summit
As is often the case when world leaders gather for big summits — think World Economic Forum or G20 — this G7 is no different, with projectile-throwing protesters clashing with tear-gas firing police in nearby Geneva, Switzerland ahead of the meeting.
You can read Natalie Mueller’s story on what is expected to be days of clashes here: Police fire tear gas at anti-G7 protesters in Geneva
https://p.dw.com/p/5FQaOShow more posts
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