16 June 2026
Trump hints at turning from Iran to Ukraine at G7
Buoyed by news of a possible peace deal with Iran, US President Trump announced his intention to focus on ending the war in Ukraine – although he provided little detail about how he would do so.
Trump said he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a “very good” meeting before making the statement.
Without mentioning how he would pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to change course and reach a deal to end the aggressive war he launched against his neighbor on February 24, 2022, Trump said, “I will do everything I can” to stop the killing.
“Look,” Trump said, “Russia should make a deal.”
Zelensky, invited to the summit by host Emmanuel Macron, joined European leaders in lobbying Trump to do more to influence Putin, pointing out that Ukraine has regained ground and continuing to call for a negotiated end to the conflict.
To drive home the point of the Kremlin’s frustration, Trump was shown photos of damage caused to a historically important Kiev monastery in a recent Russian drone strike.
Zelensky is seeking further EU support to strengthen his country’s air defenses and is also calling on world leaders to impose additional sanctions on Russia as a means of forcing Putin to the negotiating table.
Trump, who eased U.S. sanctions on Russian oil in March after the U.S. took on Iran after the Islamic Republic supposedly closed the Strait of Hormuz — shutting down global oil supplies and sending prices soaring — suggested on Tuesday he might reimpose sanctions.
Here too, Trump lacked details and avoided any commitments regarding new sanctions on Moscow.
Asked about the issue of letting Russia’s waivers expire, Trump simply said: “Soon we will be able to do that because the oil is flowing now. We will soon be in a position to do that.”