G7 Summit Opens in Évian as Leaders Focus on Iran Deal and Ukraine War

World leaders converged Monday on Évian-les-Bains, France, for the 52nd G7 summit, with Iran, Ukraine, and the global economy topping an agenda that runs through June 17. It is the first in-person G7 gathering since the US-Iran war began 15 weeks ago, and French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting with an ambitious programme covering everything from energy security to artificial intelligence regulation.

President Donald Trump arrived after celebrating his 80th birthday Sunday at the White House with a UFC fight event, and flew to France in time for the opening. This is his fifth in-person G7 appearance. The summit marks his first face-to-face meeting with G7 partners since the US-Iran conflict erupted.

Iran Deal Dominates Opening Day

The morning's biggest news arrived before the summit even formally opened: the US and Iran announced an agreement to extend their ceasefire and begin reopening the Strait of Hormuz, to be signed Friday in Geneva. Macron was quick to embrace the breakthrough, declaring it "a very important step for peace" and pledging France's naval forces — including the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, already in the region — to help escort commercial shipping once the strait reopens.

The announcement dominated the summit's tone on its opening day. However, leaders cautioned that the deal remains tentative. Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel noted: "It's a long time till Friday."

Ukraine War on the Agenda

The war in Ukraine is the other major item. Trump had back-to-back calls with both President Zelensky and Russian President Putin on Sunday ahead of his departure, and both sides are expected to press their cases at Évian. Zelensky said the leaders discussed "good ideas to bring peace closer" and planned to continue the discussion at the summit.

Russian missiles struck Kyiv and Kharkiv overnight, just hours before the summit opened, killing five rescuers and setting fire to the historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery — a stark backdrop for diplomatic discussions on ending the conflict.

Macron's Broader Agenda

Host President Macron has set an ambitious agenda beyond the two dominant crises. He wants G7 partners to address "global economic imbalances" — a reference to trade tensions exacerbated by Trump-era tariffs — and to advance international coordination on artificial intelligence governance. Trump's own stated priorities include supply chain resilience, illegal immigration, and AI, as well as "boosting investment partnerships."

The summit was originally scheduled to conflict with Trump's 80th birthday on June 14, but France rescheduled it by a day to avoid the conflict — a small but telling signal of the diplomatic maneuvering underway among G7 partners.