Ukraine, Europe prepare three key asks for Trump at G7 — Politico
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (photo: facebook.com/zelenskyy.official)
On Monday, June 15, a G7 summit will begin in France, with US President Donald Trump expected to attend. At the meeting, Ukraine and European leaders intend to persuade Trump on three key points, according to Politico.
The media notes that Ukraine is running out of Patriot air defense missiles, summer blackouts may return, and Trump is meanwhile absorbed by issues related to Iran. At the same time, however, Kyiv is achieving notable gains for the first time in years.
In particular, Ukrainian drones are cutting Russian supply lines, exhausting its army and economy, while the Armed Forces of Ukraine have benefited from significant technological advances. In addition, Ukraine has, for the first time since 2023, retaken more territory than it has lost.
Amid this, Kyiv and Europe plan to convince Donald Trump of several points related to both continued support for Ukraine and increased pressure on Russia.
The first point is that Ukraine's battlefield gains could give allies a rare opportunity at the upcoming G7 summit to persuade Trump of the need to focus attention on the war and urge partners to fill capability gaps. This includes providing air defense systems and long-range strike weapons ahead of a potential new Russian offensive.
"The Ukrainian leader is seeking US authorization to manufacture Patriot interceptors domestically and has asked Germany to provide dozens of interceptors from its stockpiles in exchange for ones Kyiv produces later," Politico notes.
The urgent question now is how to increase Western support enough to force Russia to engage in genuine negotiations.
The media writes that last year, US President Donald Trump sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for rejecting a deal and accused him of being overly demanding. However, that was before Kyiv's position improved.
Against this backdrop, European diplomats said the G7 summit starting Monday should be an opportunity for Ukraine's supporters to clearly reaffirm their backing for Kyiv in its confrontation with Russia, including through military and financial means.
"Europeans today are taking on almost 100 percent of the aid for Ukraine, but it's still important for our G7 partners, notably the United States, to continue to do their part — or at least to not weaken their support further," said a diplomat from one of the largest EU countries.
Politico also writes that the European Union has covered Ukraine's financial needs for the coming months with a €90 billion loan. However, Kyiv is seeking at least another €20 billion to consolidate its battlefield gains against Russia.
The third issue concerns strengthening sanctions pressure on Russia and increasing US involvement in this effort.
In particular, Ukraine has been pressing the United States and its allies to ramp up economic pressure on Moscow, but the results have been mixed, especially from Washington.
"The EU adopted its 20th Russia sanctions package in April but held back a centerpiece maritime services ban on Russian oil tankers, hoping the US will back the effort at the G7," two European officials said.
Other details available
Earlier, the media reported that Trump and Zelenskyy are expected to attend a working session of G7 leaders, although no separate bilateral meeting is currently scheduled. However, a Politico source said such a meeting could still be arranged.
A report also circulated that, according to the media, E3 leaders intend to persuade Trump to change his approach to negotiations with Russia over the war in Ukraine. Europe supports making the current front line the basis for talks.
