At the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, world leaders will center discussions on the historic US-Iran agreement and the ongoing war in Ukraine, with strong expectations that US President Donald Trump will move quickly to finalise the deal aimed at stabilising the Middle East. Host President Emmanuel Macron confirmed key talks will focus on reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz including a possible joint Franco-British maritime security mission and establishing alternative energy routes, while G7 nations have already hailed the preliminary accord as a major diplomatic breakthrough. With a formal signing set for Friday in Geneva, the agreement launches a 60-day technical negotiation period covering Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles and sanctions relief, as Western allies stand ready to act immediately to restore safe passage through one of the world’s most critical waterways.

French President Emmanuel Macron greets US President Donald Trump during the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France [Isabel InfantesPoolReuters]

The world’s richest and most powerful nations have gathered behind closed doors, not to stand for global justice or true stability, but to rearrange the chessboard of power and profit. As G7 leaders meet in Evian-les-Bains, France, their central focus is clear: push through the United States’ agreement with Iran, cheer it as a historic breakthrough, and rush to secure the Strait of Hormuz at any cost. What they will not talk about openly, however, is how this entire process is steeped in arrogance, one-sided demands, and a total disregard for fairness, sovereignty, and the long-term consequences of forcing a deal that serves only Western interests.

From the very start, the narrative being spun is deliberate and misleading. French President Emmanuel Macron speaks of a “solid, serious agreement” and frames the summit’s priority as reopening the Strait of Hormuz, even proposing a Franco-British-led maritime mission to police the waters. He talks of alternative energy routes and security measures as if these are neutral acts of global stewardship, while hiding the ugly truth: the Strait of Hormuz is not just a waterway, it is the beating heart of global energy trade, and controlling it has always been the ultimate goal of Western powers. Now they present it as a gift to the world, claiming they are acting for the good of all, when in reality they are simply ensuring that oil and gas continue to flow to their economies on their own terms, regardless of who gets pushed aside or forced to surrender their rights in the process.

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US President Donald Trump, fresh from announcing that the Strait will be “completely open” by Friday the very day the formal agreement is set to be signed in Geneva boasts that this deal “will bring a lot of success.” But success for whom? Certainly not for the people of Iran, who have endured years of crippling sanctions, economic ruin, and political pressure designed to force them into submission. Certainly not for the nations of the Middle East, who have watched as foreign powers dictate their fate, redraw boundaries, and decide what they can or cannot do within their own borders. And certainly not for the principle of international law, which is being trampled underfoot as the United States sets the terms, demands compliance, and treats every other nation including its G7 allies as mere supporters in its own grand show of dominance.

The so-called “diplomatic breakthrough” hailed by France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Canada is nothing of the sort. It is a capitulation dressed up as negotiation. The agreement, already digitally signed, opens a 60-day window for further talks on Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles and the lifting of sanctions — yet every detail of these discussions is shaped by demands that come from Washington, not from a place of mutual respect or equal standing. Iran is expected to dismantle, to surrender, to hand over control of its most sensitive national assets, while the United States and its allies retain every bit of their military power, their economic leverage, and their right to impose new penalties whenever they see fit. There is no balance here, no equality, no genuine diplomacy only a powerful nation telling a weaker one exactly what it must do to be allowed back into the global system, and a group of wealthy nations cheering it on because it keeps their own supply chains safe and their own interests secure.

Even the composition of the meeting exposes the hollow nature of this process. G7 leaders representing less than 15 percent of the world’s population gather to decide the future of a region that is home to hundreds of millions of people. They invite representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Egypt to sit at the table, yet explicitly exclude them from detailed discussions about Iran’s nuclear program. In other words, regional nations are allowed to observe, to nod along, and to play their part in the performance, but they are not trusted or permitted to have a real voice in the decisions that will shape their own security, their own economies, and their own future. This is not partnership; it is colonial-style management, where outsiders decide the rules and locals are expected to follow without question.

Macron’s declaration that France and its partners are “ready to take action very quickly” to secure the Strait of Hormuz is equally alarming. A Franco-British-led maritime mission sounds like a noble peacekeeping effort, but history tells us exactly what such missions become: tools of control. Once Western warships patrol those waters, they set the rules, they decide who passes, they interpret what counts as a threat, and they expand their influence over one of the most strategic locations on Earth. They claim they are ensuring freedom of navigation, yet they have never hesitated to block, sanction, or interfere with that very freedom when it suits their political goals. This is not about security; it is about dominance, and it sends a clear message to every nation in the region: your waters are not fully yours, your trade is not fully yours, and your sovereignty ends where Western interests begin.

Worse still, this entire push to finalise the agreement ignores the deep flaws and dangers built into its foundation. Trump has made no secret of his approach: demand, threaten, and take whatever is desired. He has spoken openly about entering Iranian territory to seize and destroy nuclear material, about using military force if things do not go his way, about treating the deal as a transaction rather than a treaty between equals. The G7 leaders, instead of challenging this dangerous mindset or insisting on respect for international norms, are rushing to endorse it. They are so desperate to see the deal signed, to see the Strait reopened, and to claim a diplomatic victory that they are willing to overlook every red flag, every violation of principle, and every risk that this approach will create more conflict than it solves.

They also fail to mention the bitter lessons of the past. Time and again, Western powers have imposed agreements on nations in the Middle East, designed to serve their own interests while promising peace and prosperity. Time and again, those agreements have collapsed, leaving behind resentment, instability, and deeper conflict. When you build a deal not on trust or equality, but on power and coercion, you do not create peace you create a time bomb. The moment the pressure lifts, or the moment the balance of power shifts, the grievances that were buried under the agreement will resurface, often with far greater force than before.

What makes this G7 meeting so infuriating is not just what is being done, but how it is being presented. Leaders speak of “solidarity,” “security,” and “progress” while engaging in the same old game of power politics. They praise themselves for their leadership while ignoring the voices of the people most affected. They celebrate a “breakthrough” that is nothing more than a temporary arrangement, held together by threats and unequal terms, and pretend it is a historic achievement.

The truth is plain for anyone who is willing to see it: this agreement is not about making the world safer. It is about ensuring that the United States and its allies remain in control of the region’s resources and its trade routes. It is about demonstrating that no nation — no matter how proud, no matter how determined, no matter how legitimate its concerns can stand against the combined weight of Western economic and military power. It is about teaching a lesson to every other country that might dare to chart its own path: you will comply, or you will suffer.

And in the end, the people who will pay the price are not the leaders sitting in Evian-les-Bains, drinking fine wine and posing for photos. It is the ordinary people of Iran, who will continue to face uncertainty and hardship. It is the sailors and traders who will navigate the Strait of Hormuz under the watchful eye of foreign warships. It is the citizens of the region who will live with the consequences of decisions made thousands of miles away, by people who do not know their lives, do not understand their history, and do not care about their future.

This is not diplomacy. This is not leadership. This is arrogance dressed up as statesmanship, and it is leading the world down a dangerous path. The G7 may celebrate this week, they may sign documents and declare victory, but they cannot change the reality: a deal built on inequality and coercion will never last, and the day will come when the bill for this so-called “success” will be presented and it will be the whole world that has to pay it.

Trump’s Dangerous Soft Stance: Europe Fights to Save Ukraine’s Future From a Bad Deal

Once again, the fate of Ukraine hangs in the balance, and once again, the biggest threat to its survival does not come solely from Moscow it comes from the careless, reckless, and dangerously one-sided approach of former US President Donald Trump. As European leaders gather for a critical summit, their primary task is not just to plan further support for Kyiv, but to perform damage control, they must somehow convince Trump that his past ideas for ending this war have been nothing short of a capitulation to Vladimir Putin. This is not just a difference of opinion; it is a clash between those who understand the reality of Russian aggression and one man who seems determined to hand the aggressor exactly what he wants, under the false banner of “making a deal.”

Let us be absolutely clear. Trump’s approach has always been rooted in a shallow, transactional view of global conflict. He treats a war of conquest, genocide, and imperial expansion as if it were a business negotiation where both sides are equally at fault and compromise means splitting the difference. That is a fatal mistake. There is no middle ground between a victim and an invader. Yet time and again, Trump has floated proposals that would force Ukraine to surrender territory, abandon its people, and accept a permanent threat on its borders — all while letting Putin walk away with stolen land and zero consequences. It is a disgraceful position that ignores every principle of international law, every promise made to allies, and every drop of Ukrainian blood spilled in defense of freedom.

Now, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy set to join the summit’s session on building peace and likely to speak separately with Trump, the stakes could not be higher. Zelenskyy has shown incredible courage and diplomatic patience, even offering to meet Putin face-to-face right here at the G7 a bold move that proves Ukraine is ready for genuine dialogue. But what was Putin’s response when a similar offer was made earlier? He rejected it outright, saying there was “no point” unless Ukraine had already agreed to his terms. This tells you everything you need to know. Putin does not want peace. He wants surrender. He wants Ukraine to kneel before he even sits at the table. And yet, Trump continues to claim he has “good conversations” with Putin and insists the Russian leader is “open to do something.” How much longer will Trump ignore the obvious? How much longer will he treat Putin’s lies and stall tactics as if they were sincere offers of peace?

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen laid out the undeniable truth in plain terms, and it is a message that Trump desperately needs to hear. Ukraine is not losing it is fighting back, and fighting back brilliantly. Ukraine holds the front line, and more than that, it is taking back territory that Russia thought it had stolen forever. Ukraine has developed the capability to strike deep inside Russian territory, proving that it has the means to defend itself and push back against aggression. Most remarkably, Ukraine has become a world-leading producer of advanced military equipment turning the factories of a peaceful nation into a powerhouse of defense, proving that freedom fuels innovation far better than tyranny ever could.

Compare that to Russia. Von der Leyen is right again: Russia is crumbling under the weight of its own illegal war. Sanctions have torn holes in its economy, its military is bleeding men and equipment at a staggering rate, and Putin’s so-called “war economy” is weaker now than at any point since the invasion began. Russia is struggling to sustain its campaign, its soldiers are demoralized, and its international standing is lower than ever. Putin is not the strongman he pretends to be; he is a desperate leader clinging to a failing project. And yet, despite all this, despite the fact that Ukraine has the upper hand and Russia is the one suffering, Trump still thinks the answer is to give Putin what he wants. It is baffling, dangerous, and deeply unfair to every Ukrainian who has fought and died for their country.

Talks between the two sides have stalled, yes — but let us be clear about why. It is not because Ukraine is being difficult. It is not because Ukraine refuses to compromise. It is because Russia continues to launch missile strikes on civilian cities, because Russia continues to occupy Ukrainian land, because Russia continues to kidnap children and torture civilians. Russia is the one blocking peace. Russia is the one refusing to respect borders or international norms. European nations understand this perfectly: they are ready to talk, yes, but they are also tightening sanctions and sending more weapons to Ukraine, because they know you do not negotiate with a gun to someone’s head — you take the gun away. You do not reward aggression; you make it too costly to continue.

But Trump? He seems to view strength as a problem and weakness as an opportunity. He speaks of his chats with Putin as if they are proof of his diplomatic genius, while dismissing the reality that Putin is simply playing for time. Every time Trump says Putin is “open” to something, he is giving Putin exactly what he needs: hope that the West will crack, hope that support for Ukraine will fade, hope that he can hold on to what he has stolen without paying a price. It is a dangerous game, and Ukraine is the one paying the price for it.

This war is not about two countries fighting over borders. It is about whether the rules-based order that kept peace in Europe for decades will survive. It is about whether a dictator can invade a neighbor, steal land, kill civilians, and get away with it. If Trump gets his way and pushes through a deal that favors Moscow, he will not just be ending a war he will be setting a precedent that will destabilize the world for generations. He will be telling every dictator, every aggressor, every tyrant on Earth that if you use enough force, if you lie enough, if you wait long enough, the United States will eventually force the victim to surrender.

Europe knows this. European leaders are fighting not just for Ukraine, but for their own security, for their own future, and for the very idea that freedom is worth defending. They are trying to save Trump from his own disastrous instincts, trying to show him that there is no peace in surrender, no strength in appeasement, and no victory in letting Putin win.

Ukraine has done its part. It has fought with courage, built an army that inspires the world, and turned its nation into a fortress of democracy. It has earned the right to peace on its own terms peace that respects its borders, its people, and its sovereignty. It has earned the right to have its allies stand firmly by its side, not undercut it, not pressure it, not trade its future for a cheap photo opportunity.

Trump must wake up. He must stop treating Putin as a partner and start seeing him for what he is: a war criminal and a threat to global security. He must stop thinking that a bad deal is better than no deal, because a bad deal is not peace — it is just a pause before the next invasion. And he must listen to Europe, listen to the facts, and most of all, listen to Ukraine.

Because right now, while Trump is busy praising his “good conversations” with Putin, Ukrainians are still dying. Cities are still being destroyed. And the future of freedom is still hanging in the balance. There is no time for mistakes. There is no room for compromise with evil. The only acceptable peace is one that restores Ukraine’s full sovereignty, punishes Russia for its crimes, and ensures that no nation ever again dares to attack its neighbor.

Anything less is betrayal. And Europe is right to fight tooth and nail to make sure that betrayal never happens.

Donald Trump takes centre stage at G7 summit as leaders push to finalise Iran deal and secure Strait of Hormuz

Trump’s Dangerous Soft Stance: Europe Fights to Save Ukraine’s Future From a Bad Deal

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