Trump 'has more realistic view of war in Ukraine' after pivot at G7, Canada's Mark Carney says
G7 leaders said they stand united to support Ukraine, including its territorial integrity, and agreed to increase sanctions on Russia
Donald Trump has pivoted his view of the war in Ukraine by taking what other G7 leaders thought was a "more realistic position" regarding the conflict, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said.
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Speaking during the G7 summit in Evians-les-Bains, France, Carney said he had seven or eight discussions with the US President in the past 36 hours on a wide range of subjects, including Canada's Chinese electric vehicle cap.
Separately, Carney said that Canada was on track to produce 150 megatons of liquified natural gas by the end of the year and that his aim was to complete his country's trade deal with India by the time of the G20 summit in November.
This comes as G7 leaders said they stand united to support Ukraine, including its territorial integrity, and agreed to increase sanctions on Russia, in a statement that underscores Kyiv's growing leverage as it seeks peace talks with Moscow.
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The unity of the joint statement from the June 15-17 G7 summit in the French lakeside resort of Evian-les-Bains was notable as US President Donald Trump's administration has at times been hard to bring on board, particularly on the thorny issue of how to end the Ukraine war.
It followed what Trump called a "very good" meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other G7 leaders on Tuesday, sparking optimism that a peace deal could be struck.
Zelenskyy said he could meet Trump again on Wednesday.
It also reflects how Ukraine has strengthened its position after successful drone incursions weakened Russia's hand.
The G7 leaders also welcomed the preliminary peace deal between the United States and Iran - which Trump signed on the eve of the summit - and said they are ready to contribute to its implementation.
They added that they will make efforts to diversify energy supply routes to reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz and increase energy stocks.
On Wednesday, in a central theme of France's G7 presidency, leaders will turn their attention to critical minerals and global economic imbalances.
France is pushing partners to agree on a statement on critical minerals that could include measures to help the West reduce its reliance on China and shield investors from counter-measures and dumping, diplomats said.
China spooked the global economy last year when some industries nearly ground to a halt after Beijing imposed export curbs on permanent magnets made of rare earths- an episode which highlighted how reliant Western supply chains in the energy, defence and technology sectors are on these goods.