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G7 start delay shows it's a one man show, really - snap analysis
Jakub Krupa
Guess these extraordinary scenes only show one thing: for all the combined might of the G7, this summit is essentially about managing one man, the US president, Donald Trump and his positions on the issues of the day.
To see other leaders kept waiting for nearly an hour as Macron, Trump, and Zelenskyy were not in the room is very unusual.
And when Trump eventually walks in, Merz almost runs towards him in a hope of getting a nice photo op in early.
Given Trump it’s all not that surprising, but still extraordinary.
Key events
France’s Macron is now out of the meeting room again, welcoming the leaders of Egypt, UAE and Qatar to the G7 Summit, as they are expected to join the midday-ish session on the Middle East.
Jakub Krupa
… and given the delay this morning, the meeting may or may not have happened already – guess we will find out at some point during the day.
The key task of this G7 summit is to get Trump on board on Ukraine - analysis
Alexandra Topping
in Évian-les-Bains
I’m just getting on a bus from the media centre to the G7 where UK prime minister Keir Starmer is currently in a working session with Volodymyr Zelenskyy entitled “Building peace and security for Ukraine and for Europe”.
Starmer is due to speak to broadcasters immediately after and then the rest of the UK press pack, including the Guardian.
While Iran, the peace deal and the reopening of the strait of Hormuz are dominating discussions, EU leaders will hope that they can capture Donald Trump’s attention for long enough to speak to him about Ukraine.
US officials have previously said that Trump will not meet the Ukrainian president privately but French president Emmanuel Macron was overheard telling Zelenskyy this morning that he would see what he could do.
As the host of the G7 meeting, Macron invited Zelensky to attend the sidelines of the gathering, hoping his presence could help shore up the group’s support for Ukraine.
A key part of the mission is getting US President Donald Trump on board.
At the Hôtel Royal where the summit is taking place, Macron was overheard saying:
“So first, do you have a bilateral thing organised … with president Trump?” before offering to “arrange this.”
'Love is a long road' for Trump, but 'happiness' and 'my favourite person' for fellow European leaders
As we have no read on what’s happening behind the closed doors, let’s kill some time with a bit of Élyséeology and see what songs the Élysée admins picked for Macron’s handshakes with visiting leaders on the French president’s Instagram.
It’s Tom Petty’s “Love is a long road” for Macron’s meet up with Trump, which includes these fairly telling lines:
“There were so many times
I would wake up at noon
With my head spinning ‘round
I would wait for the moon
And give her one more chance
To try and save my soul
But love is a long, long road”
Erm.
For Italy’s Meloni, it’s the classic Felicità – meaning, happiness – by Al Bano and Romina Power, and for Germany’s Merz is Namika’s Lieglingsmensch, my favourite person.
Japan’s Sanae Takaichi gets Nxnja Beats Arigato, so a courteous thank you; Canada’s Mark Carney gets Celine Dion’s classic J’irai où tu iras, or I’ll go where you go.
Britain’s Keir Starmer gets the James Bond treatment with The World is Not Enough by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
And the EU’s Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa get simply a rock version of the Union’s anthem, with the CNK’s L’Hymne a la Joie.
That’s proper music diplomacy. Hats off to the Élysée admins.
And here is the photo that Germany’s Friedrich Merz so desperately wanted you to see this morning of the moment he gifted Trump a German national team football shirt with his name and the number 47 on it (Trump is the 47th US president).
Trump’s grandfather, Friedrich, was born in Kallstadt, Germany in 1869, theoretically potentially making Trump eligible to play for Germany (quite a long shot, but these days…).
World Cup diplomacy at its most desperate finest.
G7 start delay shows it's a one man show, really - snap analysis
Jakub Krupa
Guess these extraordinary scenes only show one thing: for all the combined might of the G7, this summit is essentially about managing one man, the US president, Donald Trump and his positions on the issues of the day.
To see other leaders kept waiting for nearly an hour as Macron, Trump, and Zelenskyy were not in the room is very unusual.
And when Trump eventually walks in, Merz almost runs towards him in a hope of getting a nice photo op in early.
Given Trump it’s all not that surprising, but still extraordinary.
This is utterly bizarre.
EU’s Costa gets another briefing from someone and tells leaders they will be able to start the meeting in five minutes.
Canada’s Carney comes back with “it was five minutes five minutes ago.”
And UK’s Starmer is trying to figure out what’s happening asking if “they” are having a meeting up there.
“The longer it takes, the better,” Carney appears to be saying.
And just like that Macron, Trump and Zelenskyy walk in to join them in the room.
Germany’s Merz rushes straight to Trump to give him a football shirt of the German national team, which he at first seems to be slightly reluctant to accept, but eventually poses with it for photographers.
And they close the doors for the media, with the meeting now finally about to start.
There appears to be some sort of confusion with an official briefing the leaders on the growing delay and thanking them for their patience.
“We’re optimistic he will come,” Meloni says, looking around, in what looks like her telling EU’s Costa that someone is speaking with Zelenskyy.
Given that we are missing Macron, Trump and Zelenskyy, it doesn’t take a particularly wild guess to figure out what might be happening behind the scenes.
So what we now have is the leaders of Canada, EU, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK waiting for Trump, Macron and Zelenskyy.
It sounded as if someone, possibly Meloni, was telling some sort of story that involved the White House, but it’s impossible to make out what it was.
G7 leaders arrive for talks on Ukraine
We are now getting live pictures of the leaders arriving (slightly late) for today’s talks, with France’s Emmanuel Macron deep in conversation with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The French president is walking casually, hand in pocket, while Zelenskyy appears to be explaining something.
Some last minute chat on tactics before they meet with Trump, surely?
The other group of leaders – including Germany’s Friedrich Merz, Britain’s Keir Starmer, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Japan’s Sanae Takaichi, and EU’s Ursula von der Leyen – are standing in a circle waiting for others to arrive.
About the only words I can make from their chat is “ChatGPT,” and Meloni mentioning cigarettes, so make of that what you will. More as we get it, I guess.
Morning opening: G7 leaders meet for talks on Ukraine, Middle East
Jakub Krupa
Leaders of Canada, European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States are meeting in Évian-les-Bains in France for talks on Ukraine, the Middle East, and (waves arms) the world on fire.
After last night’s arrivals, it’s time to sit down and talk issues this morning, beginning with Ukraine.
The leaders will be joined by Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as they try to keep US president, Donald Trump, on side amid fears he could be tempted to once again engage with Russia circumventing Europe.
Just as the leaders are about to sit down for their talks, Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces struck a Moscow oil refinery last night in a “response” to recent attacks on Kyiv.
“Russia must be forced to end the war against our people,” he said.
The leaders will also talk about the Middle East …
… and their relations with rapidly growing economies elsewhere before taking part in a number of bilateral meetings and a formal dinner later tonight.
I will bring you all the key lines here.
It’s Tuesday, 16 June 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
