Trump arrives at G7 after announcing preliminary Iran deal

EVIAN-LES-BAINS: US President Donald Trump joined leaders of the Group of Seven on Monday at a summit in the French resort town of Evian after announcing what he described as a preliminary agreement to end the Iran war, and saying he would next focus on efforts related to Ukraine and Lebanon.

Air Force One landed in Geneva before Trump travelled onward to the lakeside venue for the summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. After unveiling the framework accord with Iran, which he called a memorandum of understanding, Trump said he would now try to advance peace efforts involving Russia and Ukraine and also seek an end to fighting in Lebanon.

Speaking about the war in Ukraine, Trump said he believed there was room for movement following contacts with both sides.

“We had a very good conversation yesterday with President Zelensky and President Putin, and I think maybe we can do something there. I really do. I think they’re both open to it,” he said.

Hormuz fees and summit tensions

As questions persisted over Iran’s plan to levy charges on ships using the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran said on Monday that the payments would be maritime service fees and should not be described as tolls. Macron, speaking to TF1 television, said France opposed such charges and stressed that they should not benefit Iran’s leadership.

“We defend international law and we will do everything in our power to ensure there is no toll. There shouldn’t be any tolls or anything that would enrich those in power” in Iran, he added.

The summit is also opening against a backdrop of strains between Washington and its European partners. Before leaving for France, Trump told the New York Post he would have “no choice” but to impose 100 per cent tariffs on French wine unless France dropped its digital tax on major US technology companies. Macron responded that France would not back down, saying tariffs were harmful, particularly among G7 members.

Shortly before arriving, Trump also posted on social media about immigration, an issue that has often divided him from centrist European allies.

“Sadly, if you import people from Third World Countries, you quickly become a Third World Country And there’s not a thing you can do about it,” he wrote.

Meetings on Ukraine and broader outreach

Trump is scheduled to meet Middle Eastern leaders during the summit and to take part in a working session with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday. The meeting comes as Russian advances in Ukraine have slowed and Kyiv is seeking additional military support from its partners amid renewed attacks on the capital.

Macron said the latest assault on Kyiv had reinforced efforts by allies to push for a ceasefire and eventual peace, while Zelenskiy said on Monday that he had offered to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G7 summit for talks on ending the war, but that Putin was not prepared to speak.

Macron said Trump would remain in France through the end of the summit, unlike at the previous G7 in Canada when he left early. The US president is then due to dine with Macron at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday. Macron said the event would not be a gala dinner.

Guest leaders, technology executives and security

France has invited a number of non-G7 leaders as it seeks to broaden the gathering’s reach beyond Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was among the first guests to arrive, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected.

Technology will also feature on the summit agenda. OpenAI chief Sam Altman, Anthropic chief Dario Amodei and Mistral AI’s Arthur Mensch are expected at a Wednesday lunch focused on protecting minors in the digital sphere.

In an Instagram video, Macron said the purpose of the summit was to secure new agreements and common ground among G7 countries and partner states in order to ease tensions and improve economic conditions.

A major security operation has been deployed for the summit, involving thousands of police officers and troops. The measures extend into neighbouring Switzerland, where protesters clashed with police on Sunday.