Trump urges Russia to end the war, G7 brandishes the weapon of sanctions

SadaNews - The leaders of the G7 agreed on Tuesday to intensify pressure on Russia to end the war that has been ongoing for more than four years in Ukraine, coinciding with U.S. President Donald Trump's call for Moscow to "reach an agreement" with Kyiv to put an end to the conflict that has been raging for over four years.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky participated in the G7 summit held at the Évian-les-Bains resort in France, where the Russian-Ukrainian war dominated discussions, which included tightening sanctions on Moscow and the possibility of a summit between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents.

American Commitment

Zelensky met with Trump, who sought to negotiate with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The U.S. President stated after the meeting that "Russia must reach an agreement" to end the war against Ukraine.

He noted the heavy losses on both sides of the conflict, adding, "This whole thing is ridiculous. So yes, I will do everything I can" to put an end to the war.

The U.S. President also mentioned in remarks made on the sidelines of the summit that "Russia has lost a tremendous number of people, as has Ukraine." When asked about meeting with the Ukrainian president, he said he had a "good meeting" with him, pointing out that he would meet with him again later.

He acknowledged that the United States had thus far "focused on Iran," indicating that he now wants to focus on the Ukrainian issue, "not for financial reasons, but due to the human losses," as he stated.

He added, "The only reason that drives me to intervene is that I don't like to see 25,000 young people dying every month."

Return of Sanctions

Trump clarified that the United States would soon be able to reimpose sanctions on Russian oil. Washington had extended a waiver from sanctions on Russian oil shipments at sea, raising concerns among its European allies.

Trump said, "We will be able to do that soon, as oil is now flowing" through the Strait of Hormuz after an agreement with Iran to end the war in the Middle East.

European Optimism

For his part, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Trump's statement urging Russia to end the war is a cause for optimism.

Merz told reporters, "I found him very cooperative, and I also saw him listening very attentively. In this regard, that gives me - once again - a degree of optimism that we, as Europeans and Americans, are now doing our best, together, to end the war."

For her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on X saying: "The winds are blowing in Ukraine's favor. Russia's fatigue is evident. It’s time to double our support" for Kyiv.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that all G7 powers are "united in their position," indicating a "real sense of unity within the group, and a common consensus that things are changing."

He said in a statement to Times Radio, "Ukraine has shown that it is capable not only of defending itself but also of reclaiming territory and inflicting significant losses on Russia."

He pointed out that the UK is about to impose a new package of sanctions on Russia, including on liquefied natural gas carriers, in an attempt to pressure Moscow to stop its war on Ukraine.

A French diplomatic source told Agence France-Presse, following the talks, that the leaders "decided today to increase pressure on Russia by imposing sanctions on gas and oil."

The source added that the leaders also agreed that "the field developments are leaning towards Ukraine's favor."

French President Emmanuel Macron invited Zelensky to stay until the end of the three-day summit, which concludes on Wednesday, so that he could meet Trump and other G7 leaders.

Source: Al Jazeera