Despite widespread predictions that President Trump would be isolated at the 2026 G7 Summit, the meeting instead demonstrated continued U.S. influence as allied leaders largely embraced his agenda on Iran, Ukraine, and broader geopolitical issues. Photo courtesy of the white house

It started with Trump walking in and saying, “I’m the boss.” When reporters later asked about the warm reception he received from European leaders, he responded, “I think they know I was right,” then added, “Now all of a sudden, they all want to be involved.”

President Donald Trump arrived at the 52nd G7 Summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, on Monday with an Iran ceasefire deal already announced, stayed for the full three days, signed the leaders’ declarations, and left declaring the gathering a “Great Success” on Truth Social.

It was Trump’s fifth G7 summit in person and took place amid two active conflicts, in Iran and Ukraine, as well as deepening fractures over China, trade, and NATO. The dynamic was not a Western alliance confronting Trump, as many pundits predicted, but Western leaders adapting to his agenda.

The summit was effectively dominated by the Iran ceasefire agreement from the moment Trump landed. A senior U.S. official briefing reporters described the deal as one that “allows us to open the Strait of Hormuz immediately, commits the Iranians to destroying the nuclear dust,” and establishes a framework where Iran’s compliance triggers gradual sanctions relief, adding it “commits us to quite literally nothing.”

One senior French official told reporters the agreement “boosts the chances of the G7 being more constructive as we can now really talk about something operational.” A formal signing ceremony was scheduled for Geneva on Friday.

Trump received broad backing from the other leaders. Macron called the deal a “very good deal,” saying allies support it “because it’s an agreement that puts a stop to a situation of great instability that had terrible consequences for our economies.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called it a “game changer” and pledged Canada’s support for implementation. The leaders’ statements, notable for the U.S. signing on, praised Trump for the agreement and pledged tougher sanctions on Russia.

On the final morning, Trump arrived almost an hour late, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent filling his chair as Macron told the room Trump would arrive “in a while.” When he entered, Trump stopped at the head of the table, turned to the assembled leaders, and delivered what will likely become his signature line, “I’m the boss,” drawing a laugh. He gave British Prime Minister Keir Starmer a pat on the shoulder and sat next to Macron. French officials expressed satisfaction that Trump stayed for the entire summit, in contrast to the previous gathering in Canada, where he left early.

Trump held bilateral meetings throughout the three-day summit. He met with Macron and separately with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at what was described as a difficult moment in the U.S.-India relationship. Three Indian sailors had been killed in a U.S. military strike on a tanker in the Gulf of Oman during the American blockade.

Modi said the safety of Indian mariners “is of utmost importance to us” and expressed confidence that the issue would be prioritized in implementing the Iran agreement.

Trump also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, telling reporters afterward, “I’m gonna do whatever I can” to end the war, adding that too many young men were dying on both sides.

Macron said he sought to persuade Trump to sustain support for Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia. Leaders adopted a joint statement committing to increased weapons deliveries, including air defense systems and long-range capabilities, and declared that “the right moment” had come to “strengthen our sanctions, including those on the oil and gas sectors.” The statement was notable for the U.S. signing on, given Trump’s past reluctance to commit to either course.

Carney said Trump’s position had shifted to being “more realistic with regard to the situation in the field.” That convergence marked a notable rapprochement. However, none of the G7 leaders stated that an obvious way to help end the Ukraine war would be to stop China from supporting Moscow economically.

On Taiwan, the leaders declared opposition to “any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, in particular by force or coercion, in the East and South China Seas and across the Taiwan Strait, which should only be resolved peacefully through dialogue.”

This is consistent with U.S. policy as outlined in the Taiwan Relations Act and echoes the warning Trump gave to Taiwan President Lai Ching-te after he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The media falsely framed it as Trump throwing Taiwan under the bus, but the reality is that the U.S. position has always been that Taiwan cannot declare independence unilaterally and that the United States is not committed to fighting for Taiwan if it does.

It appears the G7 leaders also oppose allowing Taiwan to declare independence unilaterally, yet the media did not claim that they were kowtowing to China.

Macron chaired a videoconference bringing the G7 together with China, the IMF, and invited partners to address global economic imbalances, but the White House did not include China in its list of priorities for the event, preferring to handle Beijing through direct bilateral engagement.

EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said the EU-China trading relationship had “reached a point that requires a reset, not confrontation, but rebalancing.” Europe and Japan are moving toward tougher measures on Chinese industrial overcapacity and China’s support for Russia, but they are doing so on separate tracks.

For all the talk of globalism and multilateralism, there has been no unified G7 China policy statement or codified G7 China strategy.

Ahead of the summit, much of the media coverage focused on whether Trump would be shunned, sidelined, or stripped of influence by allies who had grown frustrated with his leadership. Georgetown University professor Charles Kupchan told the Philadelphia Inquirer before the summit that “Greenland and Iran are a double whammy, where allies now say, ‘We’ll work with Trump where possible, but we have to say no when necessary.'”

The list of grievances extended to almost every member of the group. Trump had sharp disagreements in recent months with Macron, Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over his failure to consult them before going to war in Iran. He had also threatened to draw down U.S. troops in all four countries, all NATO members, over their lack of support.

Trade added further friction, with Trump warning Macron that the U.S. would “have no choice” but to impose 100% tariffs on French wines unless Paris eliminated its digital-services tax on American tech companies. Macron responded that “tariffs do no one any good, including the United States.”

What unfolded at Évian told a different story. Leaders welcomed the Iran deal, signed on to tougher sanctions on Russia, actively sought greater U.S. participation in Ukraine, laughed at Trump’s jokes, wished him a happy birthday, and Macron invited him to dinner at the Palace of Versailles. As one analyst put it, “In 2018, the allies tried to bend Trump toward the G7. In 2026, the G7 is bending itself around Trump.”

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