Macron: "G7 Summit a Success, Commitment to Strengthen Sanctions on Russia"

French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country holds the presidency of this year's Group of Seven (G7) summit, assessed the event as "objectively successful" on June 17 (local time), citing "unity, high-level discussions, and genuine cooperation among the G7 members."

During a press conference concluding the three-day G7 summit held in Évian, France, President Macron made these remarks, particularly highlighting the consensus reached by member states regarding support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.

He stated, "All G7 members not only agreed on the necessity of supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity but also shared the view that the balance of power has fundamentally shifted over the past few months," adding, "We have committed to increasing the level of pressure, including strengthening sanctions (against Russia)."

Macron emphasized, "This is the first time such a consensus has been reached within the G7. There have been disagreements and differences within the G7 in the past," and added, "Therefore, this is a real step forward."

President Macron specifically noted that U.S. President Donald Trump, who had previously faced criticism for being biased toward the Russian position, "acknowledged, just as we did, that there is currently no serious intention from the Russian side to engage in peace negotiations." He mentioned that President Trump also "very clearly" expressed the need to take a "much tougher stance" against Russia.

Welcoming this, he said, "This is a real change," and added, "It demonstrates the U.S. willingness to work with European nations to support Ukraine, and a shared will to move forward together to resolve this issue."

Regarding the situation in the Middle East, President Macron said, "We unanimously welcomed the excellent agreement concluded between the U.S. and Iran, which President Trump brought to fruition."

He then emphasized the importance of the "right to transit the Strait of Hormuz without tolls," stating that France, along with the United Kingdom, is "prepared to play an important role in facilitating the resumption of maritime traffic through the strait."

However, Macron qualified this by saying, "This is merely a proposal," and added, "Everything depends on an agreement between Iran and the U.S., as well as the consent of Oman, which lies across the strait."

President Macron concluded, "This summit was held under extremely difficult circumstances, including global divisions and multiple crises, and the past few months have been marked by division, conflict, and disagreement," but added, "However, through this G7 summit, we have overcome them."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.