But, despite signs that the U.S. and Iran appear close to a deal, that deployment doesn’t yet appear imminent.
Deliverables
When it comes to Ukraine, Macron will stress that Europe really is now pulling its weight — as Trump has demanded. Even if the U.S. president is unwilling to help, it will be seen as a win if he doesn’t actively seek to undermine Kyiv.
“Europeans pay for almost 100 percent of aid to Ukraine,” said an official from Macron’s office in a briefing with reporters ahead of the G7 summit. “It’s important that other G7 partners, in particular the United States … at the very least, don’t degrade their position regarding Ukraine.”
After initially excluding Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy from the summit, the organizers are now planning a two-hour session with the Ukrainian president on Tuesday. The idea is to persuade Trump that Ukraine is gaining an upper hand in the fighting.
“Trump likes winners,” said the third European diplomat quoted above. “Last year, Zelenskyy didn’t hold the cards. But the situation has changed,” said the diplomat, noting a €90 billion loan from the EU, the difficulties facing the Russian army on the frontline and Kyiv’s defense cooperation with Gulf nations.
As France, Germany and the U.K. take on a larger role in potential peace talks with Russia, European governments hope to use this brief access to Trump to discourage him from pursuing any misguided diplomatic gambits with Moscow.