G7 leaders said on Wednesday they stand united to support Ukraine, including its territorial integrity, and agreed to increase sanctions on Russia, in a joint statement.
The unity of the joint statement from the 15-17 June G7 summit in the French lakeside resort of Évian-les-Bains was notable as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has at times been hard to bring on board, particularly on the thorny issue of how to end the Ukraine war.
It followed what Trump called a "very good" meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other G7 leaders on Tuesday, sparking optimism that a peace deal could be struck. Zelenskyy said he could meet Trump again on Wednesday.
It also reflects how Ukraine has strengthened its position after successful drone incursions weakened Russia's hand.
The G7 leaders also welcomed the preliminary peace deal between the United States and Iran - which Trump signed on the eve of the summit, and said they are ready to contribute to its implementation.
On Wednesday, in a central theme of France's G7 presidency, leaders will turn their attention to critical minerals and global economic imbalances.
France is pushing partners to agree a statement on critical minerals that could include measures to help the West reduce its reliance on China and shield investors from counter-measures and dumping, diplomats said.
China spooked the global economy last year when some industries nearly ground to a halt after Beijing imposed export curbs on permanent magnets made of rare earths - an episode which highlighted how reliant Western supply chains in the energy.
"We are negotiating texts that are significant on critical minerals and, as a consequence, on economic sovereignty," a French presidency official said ahead of the summit.
Measures under discussion in recent months have included price supports, market standards, subsidies and guaranteed purchases, as well as means to scale up private investment in critical mineral supply chains outside China.
However, any measures announced at the G7 are likely to be first steps.
G7 leaders will also discuss how to rebalance global trade and address "predatory competition", mainly by China. France summarises the imbalances as: China produces too much, the U.S. consumes too much and the Europeans invest too little.
France's President Emmanuel Macron sought to engage China ahead of the summit in a last-ditch effort at cooperation. Beijing rejects EU claims of unfair subsidies and has repeatedly vowed "strong" countermeasures to the EU's proposed "Buy European" and revised tech sovereignty rules.
EU leaders will separately debate tougher and a more systematic use of trade defence measures against China's surging imports at a summit in Brussels on Thursday.
The EU last year recorded its largest-ever trade deficit with China of over €360 billion.
G7 leaders will also discuss AI over lunch on Wednesday, including the liability of bots and agents, and how AI presents what is true and false. OpenAI founder Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei are expected to attend.
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The European Commission has announced €493 million in emergency support for the Ebola response, including funding for vaccines, treatment and health security measures.
The first day of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, was dominated by discussions on the Middle East, Ukraine and the global economy, as leaders grappled with multiple crises that have reshaped the international landscape.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs on French wine and champagne unless France removes its digital services tax on major American technology companies.
Leaders of the world's leading industrialised democracies are gathering in the French resort town of Evian-les-Bains for the latest Group of Seven (G7) summit on Monday, with the wars in Ukraine and Iran, economic tensions and artificial intelligence expected to dominate discussions.
The U.S. says it has launched strikes on Iran after alleged attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington described the action as a response to threats against civilian shipping and a breach of the ceasefire.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict was "over", adding he did not want to engage with Tehran, calling the Iranian leadership "sick people".
Typhoon Bavi churned southeast of Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, its winds easing overnight to just shy of 200 kph (124 mph), as authorities urged residents to stock up on supplies and brace for what could be the most powerful typhoon since 2024.
The death toll from Venezuela's twin earthquakes has risen to 3,811, according to figures released by National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on Wednesday.
The U.S. military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
China's technology sector is producing billion-dollar startups at its fastest pace in nearly five years, with artificial intelligence and robotics driving a new wave of investment that is reshaping the country's innovation economy.
At least 28 people have died after a fire tore through a shoe factory in southeastern China, trapping hundreds of workers inside the multi-storey building. Authorities said more than 200 people escaped, while others were unable to get out before the blaze spread.
It has been a punishing week for large parts of China, and forecasters warn the worst may not be over. After Typhoon Maysak left a trail of destruction and at least 23 people dead, Super Typhoon Bavi is now threatening the country's eastern coast.
Western Europe experienced its hottest June since records began in 2026, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The record-breaking month brought extreme heat, widespread disruption and thousands of excess deaths across parts of the continent.
South Korea's Supreme Court has upheld former President Yoon Suk Yeol's seven-year prison sentence in a case linked to his 2024 attempt to impose martial law.
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