Trump Says 'I'm the Boss' at G7 Summit; Ukraine and Iran in Focus
EU and G7 leaders on Wednesday unanimously pledged support for Ukraine and imposed new sanctions on Russia. US President Trump told the meeting 'I'm the boss.'
The remark came during the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, held June 15–17, following a joint statement that could further strengthen Ukraine's leverage in potential peace talks with Russia.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and his allies aimed to convince Trump that Ukraine's counteroffensive is making progress and Russia cannot dictate terms in any peace agreement.
The joint statement and leaders' comments showed Trump, after years of skepticism, moving toward Zelenskyy's arguments. French President Macron said this reflects a 'real shift' in the US stance on Ukraine and called the summit 'successful.' In contrast, last year's G7 in Canada failed to reach a common position on Ukraine.
Italian Prime Minister Meloni said leaders 'found common ground' with Trump, 'which is not always a given.' Canadian Prime Minister Carney praised the US and Trump for the 'change in stance.'
Last year Trump left the G7 a day early over the Middle East, but this time he attended the full summit and would later join a dinner at Versailles. Leaders were visibly relieved that joint statements were reached on Ukraine, AI, critical minerals and other topics.
However, any prospect of forcing Moscow into peace talks still depends on Trump's commitments, which have often been unpredictable.
'I'm the boss,' Trump told leaders and journalists as he took his seat at the global economic security meeting.
Trump's Iran Deal Sets Tone for Talks
G7 leaders also welcomed the preliminary peace deal between the US and Iran and said they were willing to help implement it, but Trump made no specific commitments on the role others might play.
European allies worry that the inexperienced US negotiating team may fail to secure a solid nuclear deal in the next phase or address Iran's ballistic missile program, prolonging the standoff.
Meanwhile, Trump stressed that the memorandum of understanding with Iran is not a final deal, and the US could resume bombing if Iran does not keep its promises.
'If I don't like it, if they're not honest, we'll immediately resume bombing and drop bombs right on top of their heads,' he said.
Although European allies publicly supported the preliminary deal, diplomats warned that reaching a lasting agreement on Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missile plans and support for proxy forces in the Middle East would be extremely difficult.
