Ukrainian President Zelenskiy Meets G7 Leaders in Evian

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attended a private meeting with G7 leaders, discussing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron greeted him warmly at the Hotel Royal, even sharing a hug as they began their conversation.

They communicated in English, strategizing about upcoming discussions and how to approach former President Trump, who has firmly opposed increasing support for Ukraine.

Macron suggested Zelenskiy stay at the summit longer, although he predicted Zelenskiy would head to Brussels soon to further Ukraine’s application for EU membership. He also asked if a direct meeting with Trump was lined up, to which Zelenskiy seemed to respond negatively.

White House officials previously indicated that Trump wouldn’t have a one-on-one meeting with Zelenskiy but left the door open for informal exchanges.

It seems that meeting hasn’t materialized yet. Trump arrived late to the session, entering about 50 minutes after it began, right before Macron and Zelenskiy could wrap up their private discussion.

French sources mentioned that Trump did not engage in the closed-door session with other leaders.

European leaders are keen for Trump’s backing of a peace deal favorable to Ukraine rather than to Russia.

On Sunday, Trump had conversations with both Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing cautious optimism about prospects for resolution regarding Ukraine.

“There seems to be an openness to it,” he stated Monday, after reflecting on the discussions. Notably, Zelenskiy broached the idea of peace talks in the U.S. during his chat with Trump.

Zelenskiy shared in a video posted before his departure to France, “We discussed the potential for a meeting in the U.S., one that would be tough for Putin to turn down. We’ll have to see how things play out. If Russia declines, then we’ll need to apply more pressure.”

As the G7 opening approached, Russia launched numerous missiles at Ukraine’s capital, resulting in at least 11 casualties.

Zelenskiy has been busy rallying support from his European allies, having met with leaders in London just the previous week.