European allies want to remind Trump about Ukraine. “I need bullets”
Ukrainian drones are cutting through Russian supply lines, putting a huge strain on Russia's military and economy. Ukraine's armed forces benefit from important technological developmentsthe front line has largely stabilized, and Kiev has regained more territory than it lost for the first time since 2023. All this gave Ukraine something it had not had for a long time: time.
“Everyone sees that Russia is burning and we want it to burn even more.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is seeking to take advantage of this more optimistic situation by stepping up diplomacy with the U.S. and Europe while publicly and privately appealing to Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks on ending the war. The key question now is: How to increase Western support enough to persuade Russia to enter into serious negotiations?
“Everyone can see that the situation is not as hot as it once was,” said a senior White House official. — There are minor skirmishes, but it's not the same as two years ago or even a year ago.
Last year, Trump sharply criticized Zelensky for rejecting the proposed agreement and accused him of playing games va banque. However, since then, Kiev's prospects have improved. European diplomats emphasize that the G7 summit, which starts on Monday, is an opportunity for Ukraine's supporters to clearly emphasize its support for Kiev in the fight against Russia — both military and financial.
— Currently, Europeans take almost 100 percent of the responsibility. aid for Ukraine, but it is still important that our G7 partners, especially the United States, honor their commitments or at least not reduce their support even further, says an anonymous diplomat from a large EU country.
— Everyone sees that Russia is burning and we want it to burn even more, but we need financial resources for this, said a senior representative of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
World leaders, including Trump, will meet Zelensky during a two-hour session in Evian-les-Bains. But it is not known whether Trump and Zelensky will find time for a one-on-one conversation during the summit. A representative of the White House informed that no such meeting has been planned, while from the Ukrainian side we hear that something else may be agreed.
The future of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia is a key issue. Although the US withdrew somewhat in the face of the Iran crisis, the head of Ukrainian diplomacy emphasized before the G7 summit that Kyiv still sees Washington as the leader of the negotiations. The difference is that Ukraine wants European leaders to also participate in the talks – but the issue of who would represent Europe has sparked heated, but so far fruitless, disputes.
“Zelensky makes it clear he needs more missiles”
Despite Kiev's successes, Russia is still able to wreak havoc on Ukraine and its infrastructure. Zelensky said that Ukraine uses 60 to 70 interceptor missiles a month. This is more than Raytheon, the American manufacturer of the system, currently produces.
The Ukrainian leader is seeking US consent to produce Patriot missiles locally and is asking Germany to transfer several dozen missiles from its stocks in exchange for those that Kiev will produce in the future.
“Zelensky is making it clear he needs more missiles,” a White House official says.
The uncertainty surrounding the Iran deal is further distracting Washington's attention from the Middle East. Trump's advisers — Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — are the main negotiators on both Iran and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They are still talking to Zelensky and his team, also this month, however, the White House does not expect a breakthrough soon.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month that U.S. efforts to reach a diplomatic solution were “stalled.”
Europeans will probably use the G7 summit to persuade the US to conclude a drone agreement with Ukraine. Kyiv came up with this idea last summer, but… The Trump administration wasn't interested. The president does not want it to look like Zelensky's success, says one of the European officials who held talks at the White House.
AA/ABACA / PAP
Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in front of the White House in October 2025.
However, Kyiv found others willing to cooperate. Ukrainians have signed a number of industrial cooperation agreements with Great Britain, Germany and Canada in the field of drone production on a scale that the Ukrainian industry cannot achieve on its own.
However, there is no agreement in the EU on opening a formal negotiation channel with Moscow. It is still unclear whether Putin would be ready to sit down for talks with European leaders.
The G7 summit is just the first stop
Ukraine is also pressing the US and allies to increase economic pressure on Moscow, but the effects of these actions – especially from Washington – have been mixed. The European Union adopted its 20th package of sanctions against Russia in April, but it held off on a key ban on maritime services for Russian tankers, counting on the US to support the idea at the G7 summit, two European officials say.
Meanwhile, Washington took the opposite direction. Since March, it has granted Russia sanctions relief and issued a series of 30-day exemptions on oil exports to stabilize markets shaken by the war with Iran.
Just maintaining Trump's interest in the Ukraine issue would be beneficial for Kiev and its allies. Macron hopes to invite Trump to a private dinner in Versaillesto encourage him to become more involved in Ukraine and other issues of importance to Europe. For now, however, Trump has no plans to appear there.
