EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday told a roomful of global leaders "I'm the boss", as he and other G7 heads acknowledged Ukraine's improved battlefield fortunes with a unified pledge of support and fresh sanctions against Russia.

Trump's comment -- a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment of an unspoken truth hanging over the June 15 to 17 summit of the Group of Seven Western powers in the French resort of Evian-les-Bains -- followed a joint leaders' statement that could bolster Kyiv's growing leverage in potential peace talks with Moscow.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his allies came to the G7 hoping to convince Trump that Ukraine's fightback is delivering results, and that Russia is in no position to dictate terms for any peace deal.

TRUMP DESCRIBES RUSSIA AS 'OFFENSIVE' PARTY

The joint statement and comments from leaders suggest Trump has warmed to Zelenskiy's argument after years of scepticism.

Trump told a press conference that Russia was losing more soldiers than Ukraine in the war, describing Moscow as the "offensive" party in the conflict.

Trump showed a "real change in approach" regarding the Ukraine war, French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier in the day. Other European leaders made similar comments.

A G7 summit in Canada last year ended without any joint stance on Ukraine. This time, ahead of a glitzy dinner in the Versailles palace, both Macron and Trump called the G7 summit a success.

However, any hopes of strongarming Moscow into peace talks still rely on Trump commitments, which can be elusive.

The U.S. president made his "I'm the boss" remark to G7 chiefs and reporters as he arrived to take his seat at a session on global economic security.

DIPLOMATS URGE CAUTION ON IRAN DEAL

G7 chiefs also welcomed a preliminary peace deal between the United States and Iran and said they were ready to help implement it, but left with no commitment from Trump on what their role, if any, could be.

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.

Meanwhile, Trump stressed that the memorandum of understanding with Iran was not final, and that he could resume a bombing campaign if it was not honoured.

"If I don't like it, if they don't behave, we'll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head, OK?" he said.

And although European allies appeared supportive of the preliminary memorandum in public, diplomats cautioned that getting a lasting deal on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programme as well as its support for proxy forces in the Middle East is no small challenge.

CRITICAL MINERALS

Separately, G7 leaders agreed to step up coordination to cut their countries' reliance on China for critical minerals, including plans to align stockpiling and launch a new platform with an expanded role for the International Energy Agency.

Western powers are racing to diversify their sources of metals critical to defence, tech and renewable energy and reduce their over-reliance on China for these products.

G7 leaders also discussed AI over lunch, including the liability of bots and agents, and how AI presents truth and falsehood with tech bosses including OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.

(Reporting by Julia Payne, Michel Rose, John Irish, Steve Holland in Evian, additional reporting by Doina Chiacu, Makini Brice, Sudip Kar Gupta, Gavin Jones; Writing by Gabriel Stargardter and Ingrid Melander; Editing by Kevin Liffey, William Maclean, Aidan Lewis)

U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron attend a working session with G7 leaders and outreach partners on promoting economic growth, during the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 17, 2026. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann Christian Hartmann Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a press conference during the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 17, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein Evelyn Hockstein Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, speaks during a press conference, during the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 17, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein Evelyn Hockstein Reuters

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as they attend a working session with G7 leaders and outreach partners on promoting economic growth during the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 17, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein Evelyn Hockstein Reuters

French President Emmanuel Macron holds a press conference during the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 17, 2026. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann Christian Hartmann Reuters

General view as attendees arrive for a working session with G7 leaders and outreach partners on promoting economic growth, during the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 17, 2026. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann Christian Hartmann Reuters

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 12:26 PM.

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