The Group of Seven summit on the shores of Lake Geneva produced a rare display of unity on the Ukraine war, as leaders agreed to intensify economic pressure on Moscow and US President Donald Trump declared he would do “whatever I can” to end the conflict. Trump’s remarks followed what he described as a “very good” bilateral meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a marked shift in tone from their last encounter in Washington, where the Ukrainian leader was bluntly told he lacked leverage. The gathering in Évian-les-Bains, which brought together the leaders of the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Japan and the European Union, took place against a backdrop of continued Russian strikes — including a deadly overnight drone attack on Zaporizhzhia and the bombing of a historic cathedral in Kyiv — and Ukrainian drone incursions deep into Russian territory that have bolstered Kyiv’s battlefield position.

In a joint statement, the G7 reaffirmed its “unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity” and committed to new sanctions targeting Russian oil, gas and the financial networks that sustain the Kremlin’s war machine. European diplomats in Évian described the session as “very productive”, noting that it allowed the major Western powers to align their positions after months of uncertainty over Washington’s commitment. President Emmanuel Macron stressed that the priority was to secure “a solid and serious agreement”, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other leaders endorsed the consensus that Vladimir Putin was not winning the war. The message was clear: economic coercion would be tightened to force Moscow toward meaningful negotiations.

Trump’s personal diplomacy dominated much of the summit’s narrative. He claimed to have already settled eight wars and said he had expected the Ukraine conflict to be “the easiest to settle”, a statement widely disputed by analysts in London and Washington. Nevertheless, his arrival brandishing a preliminary deal to end hostilities with Iran appeared to embolden his belief that a peace framework for Ukraine was within reach. Zelenskyy, for his part, said G7 leaders agreed that Russia was not prevailing and stressed the importance of coordinating positions. Photographs of the two presidents seated closely together, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio observing, were intended to signal a functional working relationship.

Viewed from Washington, Trump’s engagement carries both promise and peril: his transactional approach could unlock a ceasefire, but his past unpredictability and the disputed claim of having resolved multiple wars invite scepticism. European capitals, while cautiously optimistic, insist that any settlement must be on Ukraine’s terms and backed by robust security guarantees. The new sanctions package, designed to erode Russia’s ability to finance the war, will test the Kremlin’s resilience, but Moscow has given no indication it is prepared to compromise on its core demands. The G7’s show of unity, however significant, now faces the harder task of translating rhetorical solidarity into a diplomatic architecture durable enough to bring a five-year war to a close.