Zelenskiy is hoping to impress upon Trump that Ukraine’s fortunes in its war against Russia have improved as he pushes for greater international support.
As we mentioned earlier, Trump arrived in France on Monday buoyed by concluding a preliminary deal to end the conflict with Iran and said he would now turn to the Ukraine conflict.
Trump said both Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin had signaled they were willing to strike a deal.
European diplomats hope to convince Trump that previous U.S. positions on possible terms of a deal were overly favorable towards Moscow, particularly now that Ukraine’s drone incursions have put Russia on the defensive.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters on Monday that Ukraine was gaining ground and hitting targets deep inside Russia, whose “war economy has never been as weak”.
Zelenskiy took part in the first session of the day dedicated to “Building peace in Ukraine” and may talk separately with Trump.
He was also due to meet other G7 leaders individually.
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With negotiations stalled, Zelenskiy is pushing for renewed momentum and a greater European role.
He said on Monday he had offered to meet Putin at the G7 summit, but that the Russian leader was not ready for peace talks.
While the discussion takes place behind closed doors, here is a look back at some pictures of leaders arriving for the working session earlier on Tuesday.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Evian-les-Bains, France, June 16, 2026. Thibault Camus/Pool via REUTERS
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Thibault Camus/Pool via REUTERS
The leaders greet each other. Thibault Camus/Pool via REUTERS
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Thibault Camus/Pool via REUTERS
Macron shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Thibault Camus/Pool via REUTERS
