Macron Rolls Out the Red Carpet, Trump Brings the Pressure

While Emmanuel Macron was preparing a lavish reception at Versailles, Donald Trump was preparing a series of ultimatums capable of turning the G7 meeting into a mere formality.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Пресс-служба Президента Российской Федерации, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

French President Emmanuel Macron

Macron's Main Task Is Keeping Trump at the G7 Summit

The G7 summit has begun at the French resort of Évian-les-Bains. To preserve the relevance of the gathering and prevent the marginalization of a club that now represents only 28% of the global economy, organizers needed a convincing "family photo” and, above all, the presence of U. S. President Donald Trump.

French President Emmanuel Macron secured Trump's agreement to attend, and his primary task now is to keep him at the summit and prevent him from flying home after the first day, as happened last year. As an "anchor,” Macron organized a grand private dinner at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday evening to mark the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence. Gifts have been prepared, along with congratulations on the "success” of negotiations with Iran.

The best way to avoid failure is to declare victory in advance, and that is precisely what Macron has done. The main purpose of this rhetoric is to draw Trump back into discussions surrounding Ukraine.

"This is very important for us because we must restore consensus within the G7 regarding support for Ukraine.”

However, on the eve of the summit, Trump sharply criticized G7 leaders in both the media and on social networks. He questioned the courage of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and publicly advised German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to "focus on his crumbling country” rather than criticizing the United States.

He also threatened to impose 100-percent tariffs on French wine and champagne unless Paris abandons its digital tax on American technology giants such as Google, Apple, and Amazon. How Paris intends to "save face” while defending its position remains unclear. Trump is also expected to push allies to share the costs associated with a future agreement with Iran. How heavily indebted countries are expected to do so is equally uncertain.

Macron May Seek a Trade-Off: Ukraine for Iran

There may be an attempt to exchange support on Iran for Trump's assistance regarding Ukraine and to secure approval for a revised five-point plan. The proposal includes a ceasefire along the line of contact, the deployment of multinational security forces in Ukraine, the retention of frozen Russian assets until compensation is paid, and direct negotiations in the format of Russia-United States-Europe-Ukraine. Russia has categorically rejected such a plan.

Before the G7 summit, Trump held a series of important telephone conversations that helped shape the agenda, including talks with Vladimir Putin.

He also spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky. Macron brought Zelensky to the summit in the hope of once again seating him opposite Trump, even if only for 15 minutes. Zelensky's objective is clear — to request additional missiles for Patriot air-defense systems under any pretext. Could this be why the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra caught fire today?

"In principle, no concessions to the Russians are required, and today there are no grounds for lifting sanctions against Russia,” a statement published by the Élysée Palace on Thursday said.

The Brain Death of the G7 May Be Inevitable

Macron has done everything possible to accommodate Trump, who withdrew his support for the G7 final communiqué in 2018. Nevertheless, surprises should be expected in France as well. Those surprises could include the following decisions from Trump:

1. A firm demand from Washington that the European Union assume the financial burden of clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
2. If the EU refuses to abolish its digital tax on American technology corporations, Trump could approve 100-percent tariffs on European goods, including French wines, directly at the summit.
3. A categorical rejection of any international rules governing artificial intelligence, accompanied by a declaration that "the United States will not allow Europe to slow American progress.”

Such moves would undermine any effort by Macron to secure a final summit communiqué. Discussions on Ukraine might never even reach the agenda.

In Évian, Macron — known for predicting the "brain death” of NATO — will make one final attempt to save the G7 from a similar fate. Yet he may ultimately be remembered by future generations as the last driving force behind a VIP club that will inevitably "leave the chat” due to Trump's indifference.