Ukraine is running out of Patriot receivers, its power grid is heading into summer crippled and President Donald Trump is being used by Iran. But for the first time in years, Kyiv is getting land.
The country’s drones are cutting off Russia’s supply chain and stretching its military and economy. Its powers have benefited from major technological advances; the front line has largely stabilized; and Kyiv, for the first time since 2023, has regained more territory than it had lost. All this has bought Ukraine something it hasn’t had in a while: time.
That could give the allies a rare opportunity at the upcoming G7 summit of world leaders to convince Trump that he needs to focus on the conflict and press allies to plug gaps – from air defense to long-range weapons – before the next Russian attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has tried to capitalize on this rosier image by strengthening his diplomatic ties with the United States and Europe,while in public and privacyasking Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss how to end the war. The important question now is how to increase the support of the West enough to make Russia negotiate in good faith.
“There’s a realization that it’s not as hot as it used to be,” a senior White House official said. “There are small fights. But, not like it was two years ago, or a year ago.”
Trump last year blamed Zelenskyy for not accepting an agreement withhe accused himto increase his hand. But that was before Kyiv’s outlook improved. European diplomats said the G7, which starts on Monday, should be a chance for Ukraine’s supporters to make clear their support for Kyiv against Russia, including through military and financial means.
“The Europeans today take almost 100 percent of aid to Ukraine, but it is still important for our G7 partners, especially the United States, to continue to play their role – or at least not to weaken their support further,” said a diplomat from a large EU country, who, like others, was not identified to discuss the secret plans of the meeting.
The EU has addressed Ukraine’s financial needs in the coming months through a €90 billion loan. But Kyiv is lookingat least €20 billion moredoubling his success in the battlefield against Russia.
“Everyone sees that Russia is burning, and we want it to burn more, but we need funding to do that,” Ukraine’s top defense official said.
International leaders, including Trump, will meet with Zelenskyy for a two-hour meeting in Évian-les-Bains. But whether Trump and Zelenskyy will speak directly at the meeting is still unclear. The White House official said no meeting was planned, while the Ukrainian official said something could still be arranged.
The main question is the future of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. While the United States has backed down on the Iran crisis, Ukraine’s foreign minister said before the G7 that Kyiv still sees Washington leading the talks. The difference now is that Ukraine wants European leaders to participate as well – although the question of who can represent the Europeans is the subject of heated, endless debate.
Both Kyiv and its European partners agree that a joint approach to future peace talks should exclude them from offering territorial concessions to Moscow without legal recognition of Russia in the disputed Donbas region.
Despite the success of Kyiv, Russia still managed to destroy Ukraine and its infrastructure. Zelenskyy said that Ukraine uses 60 to 70 missiles per month. That’s more than Raytheon, the American system manufacturer, is currently producing.
The Ukrainian leader is seeking US approval to manufacture Patriot interceptors domestically and has asked Germany to release more interceptors from its stockpiles instead of what Kyiv will produce later.
“Zelenskyy has been clear that he needs more missiles,” a White House official said.
Uncertainty over a peace deal with Iran only adds to Washington’s discomfort in the Middle East. Trump aides Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are the main mediators of the Iran-Russia conflict and Ukraine. The two have continued to speak with Zelenskyy and his team, including this month, but the White House does not expect any immediate progress.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month that US efforts to help find a diplomatic solution “have stalled.”
The Europeans may use the G7 to sell the US on the benefits of a drone deal with Ukraine.
Kyiv floated the idea last summer, but the Trump administration vetoed it. The president does not want to be seen as giving victory to Zelenskyy, said a European official who has had discussions within the Trump administration.
But Kyiv has found other partners already. Ukrainians have signed many industrial cooperation agreements with the UK, Germany and Canada to produce drones at a level that the Ukrainian industry is still struggling to achieve.
A group of British companies will deliver 120,000 drones to Ukraine this year under a series of deals signed last year. Canada entered into a similar drone agreement with Ukraine in May to develop drones and transport them to the front. German defense giant Rheinmetall and European multinational missile makers have also partnered with Ukrainian companies in missile and armored vehicle programs this year.
Europe has also taken steps to try to find direct contact with the Russians, including a meeting in Moscow between the British, German and French ambassadors and a Russian representative.
But the EU is divided on whether to seek formal talks with Moscow. And it is still unclear whether Putin is ready to sit down with European leaders.
Ukraine has also pressed the United States and its allies to increase economic pressure on Moscow, but has received mixed results – particularly from Washington. The EU passed its 20th package of Russian sanctions in April but stopped short of a ban on maritime services for Russian tankers, hoping the US will support the effort at the G7, two European officials said.
Washington has moved in the other direction. It has granted sanctions relief to Russia and issued a series of 30-day oil waivers since March to stabilize markets hit by Iran’s war.
At the very least, getting Trump interested in the Ukraine conflict would be a win for Kyiv and its supporters. Macron iswe look forward to welcoming Trump in privatedinner in Versailles to help strengthen his participation on Ukraine and other important issues for Europe. Trump, at least for now, has no plans to go.
Évian is just the first stop in a series of high-level diplomatic meetings this summer. Poland and Ukraine are jointly participating in a meeting to restore Ukraine in Gdansk immediately after the G7. Then comes the NATO summit in Ankara, where Ukraine’s support and defense spending will be evident. And after that, Macron will convene a meeting of the so-called Alliance of the Ready, which are countries that have pledged to provide troops and support once the war is over.
Paul McLeary and Jack Detsch contributed to this report.
