Before his departure from Washington, reports indicated that Volodymyr Zelenskiy was not on Donald Trump’s initial G7 bilateral meeting list. Nevertheless, the U.S. president ultimately held a meeting with the Ukrainian leader. At the Evian resort in the French Alps, Trump placed responsibility on Vladimir Putin to negotiate and even proposed a swift reinstatement of full sanctions on Russian oil. What explains the apparent shift in Washington’s stance toward Kyiv?
How much of this shift can be attributed to changing on‑ground realities? Last night, a refinery near Moscow fell victim to a long‑range drone strike, underscoring Ukraine’s expanding capability to disrupt Russia’s oil and gas exports with such strikes and, increasingly, missiles.
European nations are already capitalizing on Ukraine’s military ramp‑up in a race against time. As the United States reduces its NATO footprint on the continent, allies are prompted to shoulder the costs of U.S. hardware destined for Ukraine, while the strategic role of artificial intelligence among seasoned allies remains largely unfulfilled. Critics argue that summits like this one serve to appease the U.S. president rather than address core issues such as the Iran conflict.
