At G7 in France, Trump Pushes Russia Toward a Deal After Meeting Zelenskyy

Today’s Focus

President Donald Trump told reporters at the 2026 G7 summit in France that he held a “very good” meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and would meet him again later the same day, according to Reuters and The Guardian.

Speaking alongside the Emir of Qatar, Trump pressed Moscow to negotiate an end to the war. “Russia should make a deal,” he said, citing heavy casualties on both sides, per The Guardian’s live coverage.

Trump put recent monthly losses at roughly 35,000 soldiers across both armies. He described those killed as mostly young troops and said he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin two days earlier, on Sunday.

He also acknowledged personal friction between the two wartime leaders, saying there is “a lot of dislike” between Zelenskyy and Putin, The Guardian reported.

Zelenskyy said G7 leaders agreed that Russia is not winning the war and discussed further sanctions against Moscow, according to The Guardian. He thanked the leaders for what he called strong ideas to force Russia toward peace.

Zelenskyy added that Trump was “very positive” about helping Ukraine with missiles. He warned that Russia would try to block Ukraine’s EU accession unless the bloc moved quickly.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed new sanctions on Russia and nuclear energy support for Kyiv, The Guardian reported. The Kremlin said Putin had received no invitation to attend the summit for talks with Zelenskyy.

The Debate

Supporters argue

Backers of Trump’s approach say direct pressure on both capitals is the fastest route to ending a war that has killed enormous numbers of soldiers. Trump framed the human cost as the core reason to negotiate now, telling reporters it is “crazy what’s going on there.”

Supporters note that Trump spoke with Putin days before the summit and met Zelenskyy twice in a single day. They argue that keeping channels open to both sides gives Washington leverage no other leader holds.

Starmer’s pledge of new sanctions and nuclear energy aid signals that allies can match deal-making with continued pressure, his office indicated, per The Guardian. Zelenskyy’s own remarks lend weight to the strategy. He said Trump was “very positive” on missiles and credited G7 leaders with strong ideas to force Russia toward peace.

For supporters, the takeaway is that the summit produced both a diplomatic opening and a unified message that Russia is not winning.

Critics argue

Skeptics question whether urging Russia to “make a deal” without firm terms simply pressures Ukraine to concede. Critics point to Trump’s acknowledgment of “a lot of dislike” between the leaders as a sign that any quick agreement faces steep obstacles.

They warn that the Kremlin’s statement that Putin received no summit invitation underscores how far apart the parties remain. With Russia absent, critics argue, talk of an imminent deal risks raising expectations the battlefield does not support.

European officials have stressed that sanctions must continue, and Zelenskyy himself flagged the danger that Moscow will try to block Ukraine’s EU path unless the bloc moves fast. Critics read that as evidence Russia is still pursuing leverage, not peace.

Some opposition voices contend that loose deadlines and shifting casualty figures muddy the picture. Without binding commitments on weapons or security guarantees, they argue, the summit’s optimism could fade quickly.

What the experts say

Nonpartisan analysts caution that wartime casualty figures are difficult to verify independently. The Council on Foreign Relations has noted that both Moscow and Kyiv have incentives to shape loss estimates, making precise monthly tolls hard to confirm.

Researchers at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) have documented that negotiated settlements in interstate wars often take years and frequently follow battlefield stalemates rather than single summits. That history tempers expectations for rapid breakthroughs.

The Kiel Institute for the World Economy, which tracks aid to Ukraine, has reported that sustained Western military and financial support has been central to Kyiv’s ability to keep fighting. Its data suggests that the credibility of any peace push depends partly on whether allies maintain that flow.

Scholars at Chatham House have observed that EU accession remains a long, technical process requiring unanimity among member states, meaning Zelenskyy’s warning about Russian interference reflects a genuine procedural vulnerability rather than a near-term certainty.

By the Numbers

35,000: combined monthly soldier losses across both armies, as estimated by Trump at the summit, per The Guardian.

25,000: average monthly casualties Trump cited, mostly soldiers, according to The Guardian.

7: number of member countries in the G7, hosting this year’s summit in France, per NPR.

2: times Trump said he would meet Zelenskyy in a single day, according to Reuters.

1: day before the summit (Sunday) that Trump said he last spoke with Putin, per The Guardian.

0: invitations the Kremlin said Putin received to attend the G7 for talks with Zelenskyy, according to The Guardian.