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U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Geneva International Airport, en route to Paris Orly Airport, following the G7 Summit, in Geneva, Switzerland, June 17, 2026. Photo : REUTERS
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday told a roomful of global leaders "I'm the boss", as he and other G7 heads acknowledged Ukraine's improved battlefield fortunes with a unified pledge of support and fresh sanctions against Russia.
Trump's comment -- a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment of an unspoken truth hanging over the June 15 to 17 summit of the Group of Seven Western powers in the French resort of Evian-les-Bains -- followed a joint leaders' statement that could bolster Kyiv's growing leverage in potential peace talks with Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his allies came to the G7 hoping to convince Trump that Ukraine's fightback is delivering results, and that Russia is in no position to dictate terms for any peace deal.
TRUMP DESCRIBES RUSSIA AS 'OFFENSIVE' PARTY
The joint statement and comments from leaders suggest Trump has warmed to Zelenskiy's argument after years of scepticism.
Trump told a press conference that Russia was losing more soldiers than Ukraine in the war, describing Moscow as the "offensive" party in the conflict.
Trump showed a "real change in approach" regarding the Ukraine war, French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier in the day. Other European leaders made similar comments.
A G7 summit in Canada last year ended without any joint stance on Ukraine. This time, ahead of a glitzy dinner in the Versailles palace, both Macron and Trump called the G7 summit a success.
However, any hopes of strongarming Moscow into peace talks still rely on Trump commitments, which can be elusive.
The U.S. president made his "I'm the boss" remark to G7 chiefs and reporters as he arrived to take his seat at a session on global economic security.