Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday arrived in France's spa town of Evian ahead of the G7 summit where leaders are set to discuss a push for peace to end Russia's war against Ukraine. US President Donald Trump had earlier expressed optimism on Ukraine, after more than four years of war sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion.
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the summit of G7 leading powers in France's spa town of Evian on Tuesday, AFP journalists said, with leaders set to discuss a push for peace to end Russia's war against Ukraine.
US leader Donald Trump expressed optimism as he arrived at the summit Monday and said that "maybe we can do something" on Ukraine, after more than four years of war sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour.
Zelensky will attend a special morning session of the summit in the French spa town of Evian devoted to Ukraine, which will be followed later in the day by a session on Iran to be attended by Arab leaders.
European leaders hosted by President Emmanuel Macron will be keen to remind Trump of the importance of pushing Russia to accept peace on Kyiv’s terms and not pressure Ukraine to accept concessions to Moscow.
Zelensky on Monday urged a "decisive and substantive" response from the G7 leaders after the latest wave of Russian strikes that killed at least 11 people and sparked a fire at a landmark Kyiv cathedral.
Read moreUkraine: Kyiv's historic cathedral set ablaze in Russian attack
He revealed he had proposed a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin at the G7, but that Moscow was "not ready" for it.
But Trump, who spoke by phone to both Zelensky and Putin, expressed optimism as he arrived at the summit on Monday and said that "maybe we can do something" on Ukraine at the G7.
"They're both open to it," he said. "I had two very good conversations yesterday," the US president added, without giving further details.
‘Barbaric strikes’
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said ahead of the G7 summit session the UK is to supply enriched uranium to Ukraine for its nuclear power stations and impose new sanctions against Russia.
Denouncing Russia’s "barbaric strikes" on Ukraine, the UK is "stepping up" by "choking off the revenues that fuel Putin’s war and powering Ukraine through the winters ahead", his office quoted Starmer as saying.
Some analysts say recent battlefield success has tilted the balance in Ukraine’s favour and have urged the West not to slacken in its support for Kyiv.
Read morePutin and Zelensky hold separate calls with Trump on his birthday
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the emir of Qatar and president of the United Arab Emirates will be present for a special session on Iran later in the day on Tuesday.
Allies will be eager to question Trump over his deal with Iran to end the Middle East war, which he has said will mean the Strait of Hormuz fully opens on Friday.
But he was cool over a proposed British-French military mission to ensure free passage in the critical shipping bottleneck, saying the US did not need "much help".
A parade of world leaders is taking place over the three-day summit, with France keen to expand the reach of the G7 beyond its membership of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. The likes of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are also present.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
