G7 leaders agree to pressure Russia to end Ukraine war

Group of Seven leaders agreed to significantly intensify economic pressure on Moscow to end the four-year war in Ukraine during a high-stakes summit in the French resort of Évian-les-Bains. United States President Donald Trump issued a direct message following face-to-face talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stating that Russia should make a deal to stop the bloodshed. The diplomatic maneuvering coincided with fresh tragedy on the ground, as a devastating Russian strike killed 4 people at a 900-year-old monastery in central Kyiv, following earlier bombardments that killed 11 people and set fire to a landmark cathedral.

A French diplomatic source revealed that the G7 nations decided to target the Kremlin's vital economic lifelines by tightening sanctions directly on Russian gas and oil exports. European leaders remained highly focused on ensuring President Trump pressures Moscow to accept peace on the terms of Ukraine, rather than forcing Kyiv into concessions. President Trump described the massive casualties in the deadliest European conflict since World War II as ridiculous, promising to do everything possible to halt the hostilities.

President Zelenskyy, who extended his stay at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, outlined clear priorities to world leaders, focusing on expanded air defence missile shipments, a comprehensive winter support package, and stricter global restrictions on the Russian regime. During separate talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the Ukrainian leader noted that global allies clearly understand Russia is not winning on the battlefield. President Zelenskyy also revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected an invitation to attend the summit, prompting a subsequent proposal to President Trump regarding a potential future meeting between the American and Russian leaders within the United States.

Allied nations simultaneously launched coordinated enforcement actions to cripple the logistics network funding the military campaign of Moscow. British armed forces intercepted a sanctioned shadow fleet oil tanker at sea to disrupt state energy revenues, while United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a raft of new sanctions targeting liquefied natural gas tankers. Mirroring the British crackdown, Canada announced sweeping sanctions against 160 entities deeply linked to the shadow fleet used by Russia to bypass Western restrictions on fossil fuels.

-AFP