European leaders are expected to caution U.S. President Donald Trump at Tuesday’s G7 summit that a limited interim agreement with Iran could end up cementing Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities rather than curbing them. They are also set to urge him to reassess his approach to the war in Ukraine.
The June 15–17 summit in Evian-les-Bains, on the shores of Lake Geneva, brings together leaders from France, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, along with representatives of the European Union.
Trump arrived in France on Monday evening buoyed after Washington and Tehran agreed a preliminary deal to end the wider conflict, with a formal signing targeted for Friday.
“The Iran deal will bring a lot of success,” Trump said shortly after he arrived in Evian-les-Bains.
Solid Nuclear Deal Needed
French President Emmanuel Macron said the priority was to ensure there is a “solid, serious agreement that is finalised.”
He said a Tuesday lunch session would focus on the safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, including a possible Franco-British-led maritime mission and identifying alternative energy routes bypassing the waterway. Trump said the strait would be “completely open” on Friday.
Leaders from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Egypt will attend Tuesday’s talks. They are not expected to get into detailed discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme, but may outline their expectations, diplomats said.
The interim deal should open a 60-day window for complex technical negotiations that would include the fate of Iran’s highly enriched uranium and sanctions lifting.
However, European allies fear an inexperienced U.S. negotiating team may fail to secure a robust nuclear agreement or address Iran’s ballistic missile programme in the next phase, risking a prolonged standoff.
France, Britain and Germany want a role shaping the coming talks after being sidelined in recent months.
The three countries first engaged Iran on its nuclear programme in 2003 and later worked with then-U.S. President Barack Obama to secure a 2015 deal in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump has been disparaging of that accord, which he pulled the U.S. out of during his first presidency.
“It’s not like the Obama document, that was a terrible document,” Trump said of his deal before going into a bilateral meeting with Macron.
Seeking Reset On Russia-Ukraine Talks
European diplomats hope to use the summit to persuade Trump that previous U.S. peace proposals on Ukraine were overly favourable to Moscow. They plan to stress that Russia—not Ukraine—is obstructing progress, while backing tougher sanctions on Moscow and increased military aid for Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, attending the summit, is seeking renewed momentum in peace efforts and a larger European role. He said he had offered to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Moscow was not ready for talks. European leaders argue that Ukraine remains resilient despite the prolonged conflict, while Russia is increasingly feeling the impact of sanctions and economic pressure.
(With input from Reuters)
