Trump says 'I'm the boss' at G7 summit, softens on Ukraine
European Union and Group of Seven (G7) leaders on Wednesday unanimously pledged support for Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia, and U.S. President Trump said, 'I'm the boss.'
The remark came during the G7 summit held in Evian-les-Bains, France, from June 15 to 17, following a joint statement that could further strengthen Ukraine's hand in potential peace talks with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his allies traveled there to try to persuade Trump that Ukraine's counteroffensive was making progress and that Russia would not be able to dictate terms in any peace deal.
The joint statement and leaders' remarks suggest Trump, after years of skepticism, has moved closer to Zelensky's arguments. French President Emmanuel Macron said this reflected a “real shift” in the U.S. stance on Ukraine and called the summit a success. By contrast, last year's G7 summit in Canada failed to reach a common position on Ukraine.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the leaders and Trump “found common ground, which is not always a given.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney praised the U.S. and Trump for a “change in position.”
Last year Trump left the G7 summit a day early because of the Middle East situation. This time he attended the full summit and was due to go to the Palace of Versailles later that evening for a dinner. Leaders expressed clear relief after joint statements were reached on Ukraine, artificial intelligence and critical minerals.
Still, any prospect of forcing Moscow into peace talks depends on Trump's promises, which are often hard to pin down.
“I'm the boss,” Trump told leaders and reporters as he took his seat at a session on global economic security.
Trump's Iran deal sets the tone for talks
G7 leaders also welcomed a preliminary peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran and said they were ready to help implement it, though Trump made no specific commitment on what role each country might play.
European allies worry that an inexperienced U.S. negotiating team may fail to secure a durable nuclear deal in the next stage and may be unable to resolve Iran's ballistic missile program, prolonging the standoff.
Meanwhile, Trump stressed that the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran is not a final agreement and that the U.S. could resume bombing if Tehran does not keep its promises.
“If I don't like it, if they are not honest, we will resume bombing immediately and drop bombs right on their heads,” he said.
Although European allies publicly backed the preliminary deal, diplomats warned that reaching a lasting agreement on Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missile program and support for proxy forces in the Middle East would not be easy.
