"India will always be on side of peace," PM Modi tells Zelensky on sidelines of G7 summit in France.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the G7 leaders agreed there was "no genuine willingness" from Russia to make peace in Ukraine after Moscow rebuffed offers from the United States and Europe to engage in talks.

"President Trump, like all of us, simply acknowledged that there was no genuine willingness on Russia's part today to discuss peace," Macron said during a press conference on the final day of the G7 summit in France.

Macron said the G7 summit was a success, stressing it was held “against an extremely difficult backdrop of a fragmented world”, but leaders avoided any disagreements and focused on cooperation.

#WATCH | Evian, France: US President Donald Trump says, "We had a great visit last time in India. We opened up that new stadium, and I think there were 3000-4000 people. It seated about 150,000, and there were 250,000 outside, and there were 100,000 on the grass... I don't know… pic.twitter.com/SypK1fRK0j

— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2026

Asked about the defence relationship between India and the United States, Trump told NDTV's Vishnu Som, "I think it's a great relationship. I can tell you this: without even having a contract, we don't have a formal [mutual defence] contract, you have to have the right contract. But if they were attacked, we would be there to help."

"Now, if there is a new leader, I am not sure about it; if there is a new leader, I don't know about that. But if they are attacked and he [PM Modi] is the leader, we are going to be there to help, and I would say this, and everybody says it," he added.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday showered praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in France's Evian on the sidelines of the G7 Summit 2026. He also assigned adjectives like "a killer and a tough trader" to PM Modi after the two leaders held a bilateral meeting.

"As long as I am President, India has a great friend in the White House. I can tell you everyone here loves India, and they have tremendous respect for this man," Trump said. 

"In the world of maritime trade, hundreds of thousands of Indian seafarers are performing their duties across global maritime trade routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, contributing heavily to global progress. Their safety is of the utmost importance to us," PM Modi told Trump.

"I am confident that the issue of seafarers' safety will receive the highest priority during the implementation of this agreement," he added.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you here in Evian. We had an extremely productive meeting in Washington last year, and since then, we have given new speed and new energy to our relations, and we are working together on a number of areas. And it is a matter of great joy for us that both of our teams are also working hand-in-hand and making every effort to achieve the targets we have set, and we are moving forward very rapidly," PM Modi said.

PM Modi and US President Donald Trump hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of G7 Summit.

US President Donald Trump gushed over Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the working lunch. "Unlike PM Modi, who’s calm, cool & a total killer, I am not. Look at him", Trump said.

The G7 summit of world powers in France is being chaired by President Emmanuel Macron as host but on Wednesday his guest US President Donald Trump left no doubt over who he believed was in charge.

"I'm the boss," Trump said as he strode in to the morning session of the last day of the three-day G7 summit, with the other leaders already in their seats.

President Trump to G7 leaders in France:
“I’m the boss.” 🤣 pic.twitter.com/IIRiiEaUI7

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) June 17, 2026

PM Modi and US President Donald Trump will shortly hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. This will be their first face-to-face talks in 16 months. Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump were seen standing next to each other during the traditional G7 leaders' family photo session on Tuesday. They briefly interacted ahead of the outreach session of the summit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for a bilateral meeting on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ongoing 52nd G7 Summit, utilising the platform to deepen strategic and economic cooperation between New Delhi and Berlin.

Detailing the engagement via a post on social media platform X, Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal stated, "PM @narendramodi held a meeting with Chancellor Merz @bundeskanzler on the margins of @G7 Summit at Evian. Both leaders expressed satisfaction at the renewed momentum in the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, as both countries celebrate 75 years of diplomatic ties."

(ANI)

"If I don't like the text, will go back to dropping bombs on their heads": Trump says Iran deal not final days before signing

The Group of 7 (G7) on Wednesday reaffirmed solidarity with Ukraine in the war against Russia, agreeing to increase additional air defence systems, licenses to increase military production, while strengthening sanctions against the Russian oil and gas sectors.

Issuing a formal declaration, the Heads of State and Government of the G7 expressed "unwavering support" for Ukraine and lauded the nation and its citizens for their "resilience and progress" amid the prolonged conflict.

"We, the Heads of State and Government of the G7, stand united in our unwavering support for Ukraine as it defends its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. We reaffirm our solidarity with the Ukrainian people, whose vital infrastructure and cultural heritage are under attack. We commend Ukraine for its resilience and the progress it has made on the front lines in recent months, and we emphasize that there is now renewed momentum," the statement read.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump were seen standing next to each other during the traditional G7 leaders' family photo session on Tuesday. The G7 summit is being held in Evian, France.

As leaders gathered for the customary family photograph, PM Modi said, "We are always ready", when asked if everyone was ready before the photoshoot began.

"POTUS gathers with world leaders prior to the start of a cultural showcase and concert at the G7 summit in France," the post read.

The British government has said it has secured £1.3 billion ($1.74 billion) in investments from French and Indian companies at the G7 summit, focused mainly on battery storage and clean power projects.

Here are some details on the investments:

• A French private equity firm will invest £1 billion in the UK for battery storage and flexible energy projects.

• India-based clean energy investor Atri Energy Transition will invest more than £300 million to develop large-scale battery storage and advanced manufacturing.

• Indian technology firm Hexaware Technologies will invest £25 million to expand its UK operations.

• The investments are expected to create over 1,400 jobs across the UK.

The leaders of the G7 countries said on Wednesday they stand united to support Ukraine, including its territorial integrity, and agreed to increase the pressure on the Russian war economy.

"In this context, we will strengthen our sanctions (against Russia), including those on the oil and gas sectors," the leaders said in a joint statement.

Separately, the leaders, who are meeting for a summit in the French town of Evian-les-Bains, have also welcomed the deal between the United States and Iran and said they are ready to contribute to its implementation.

They added they will make efforts to diversify energy supply routes and reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz and increase energy stocks.

President Vladimir Putin hosts a summit of Southeast Asian leaders in the central Russian city of Kazan from Wednesday, as the West pressures Moscow to end its Ukraine offensive. Putin has sought to deepen political and economic ties with Asia during Moscow's more than four-year full-scale offensive against Ukraine.

The summit in the capital of Tatarstan, around 700 kilometres (435 miles) east of Moscow, comes as the G7 meets in France with ending the Ukraine and Middle East wars its main focus.

Representatives of 11 countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will arrive in Kazan on Wednesday, with the main day of the summit set for the following day. It commemorates 35 years of collaboration between Russia and the ASEAN countries, the Kremlin said. 

Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore are sending their prime ministers, while the Philippines will be represented by President Ferdinand Marcos. Myanmar -- which held a coup in 2021 and has close ties to Moscow -- will also send a delegation.

'Melodi' - a blend of Giorgia Meloni and PM Modi's names - began as an internet joke after their bilateral meeting in 2023.

Candid hot-mic conversations captured in between meetings ranged from smoking habits, Macron's missing watch, a jersey gift for Trump.

G7 leaders will discuss on Wednesday the security risks posed by AI and social media on the last day of a summit dominated by Donald Trump, before host French President Emmanuel Macron dines with his US counterpart at the Palace of Versailles.

The three-day summit of the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States has focused intensely on Trump's deal to end the war with Iran and efforts to pressure Russia into brokering peace with Ukraine.

But on Wednesday the digital sphere will take centre stage, with some European G7 members wanting more security in moves that have irked the United States.

Sam Altman, the head of artificial intelligence giant OpenAI, Anthropic chief Dario Amodei and Arthur Mensch of their European rival Mistral AI will attend lunch with the leaders.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday that children under 16 will be banned from using social media in the UK, with France also eyeing a similar ban.

The discussion at the G7 will focus on how to "improve cyber security and protect our children and our democracies," Macron said in an Instagram video ahead of the summit.

Final discussions on the key global issues will take place, with all seven powers hoping to agree final statements on both the Middle East and Ukraine before the leaders give separate press conferences from around 1300 GMT.

G7 leaders discussed a plan to grant select “trusted partners” access to advanced AI models from US firms such as Anthropic, three diplomatic sources said on Tuesday, potentially opening a path around restrictions on non-American use. 

Anthropic on Friday disabled access for all users to Fable 5 and Mythos 5, its most advanced AI models. The company made that move after US President Donald Trump ordered Anthropic to block foreign nationals from accessing its most advanced AI models, citing national security concerns.

One of the diplomatic sources said a number of country representatives attending the annual summit of leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy nations discussed the idea of widening access to advanced AI models with US representatives. 

This was mainly with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, on the sidelines of the opening G7 summit dinner on Monday in the French lakeside resort of Evian-les-Bains.

The "trusted partners" could be countries or companies, said a second source, who declined to be named because the talks were ongoing.

G7 leaders on Tuesday pledged to step up efforts to address high debt burdens among developing countries, including middle-income countries not currently eligible for a debt relief initiative launched by the broader Group of 20 large economies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a joint declaration issued after a session that included guest countries Kenya, Egypt, India, Brazil and South Korea, the G7 leaders affirmed their commitment to international cooperation on development while urging reforms and a greater emphasis on private investment.

They said traditional development policies had produced results but had only "limited impact in reducing financial dependency on external assistance". Public resources, curtailed sharply by the U.S. and other advanced economies in recent years, would continue to play a key role but were insufficient to meet global development needs, the leaders meeting in the French lakeside resort of Evian-les-Bains said. 

"We will enhance efforts to address escalating global debt vulnerabilities that threaten economic stability and constrain fiscal space for essential public service interventions," the statement, backed by South Korea and Kenya, said. 

The leaders also underscored the importance of progress toward a common approach to debt restructurings for vulnerable middle-income countries not eligible for the G20 Common Framework, set up during COVID to aid the poorest countries.

G7 host France is pushing partners to agree a statement on critical minerals on Wednesday that could include measures to help the West reduce its reliance on China and shield investors from counter-measures and dumping, diplomats said.

The leaders will discuss securing mineral supply chains, a central theme of France's G7 presidency, alongside a broader effort to remedy global economic imbalances on the final day of the June 15-17 summit in Evian-les-Bains. 

China spooked the global economy last year when some industries nearly ground to a halt after Beijing imposed export curbs on permanent magnets made of rare earths -- an episode which highlighted how reliant Western supply chains in the energy, defence and technology sectors are on these goods. 

"We are negotiating texts that are significant on critical minerals and, as a consequence, on economic sovereignty," a French presidency official said ahead of the summit. 

Measures under discussion in recent months have included price supports, market standards, subsidies, and guaranteed purchases, as well as means to scale up private investment in critical mineral supply chains outside China. However, any measures announced at the G7 are likely to be first steps.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held high-level talks on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian on Tuesday, reviewing the rapidly expanding India-UAE partnership and discussing key regional and global developments, including security in West Asia and maritime trade routes.

The meeting marked the third interaction between the two leaders in 2026, underscoring the growing importance of the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the close personal rapport between the two leaders.

According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the discussions focused on the progress achieved in bilateral cooperation following Sheikh Mohamed’s visit to India in January and Prime Minister Modi’s trip to the UAE in May this year. Both leaders reviewed advancements across several sectors, including technology, trade, investment, energy, and defence.

The India-UAE relationship has witnessed significant growth over the past few years, evolving from a traditional energy partnership into a multifaceted strategic alliance. The UAE is among India’s largest trading partners and a major source of investment, while the two countries have also strengthened cooperation in areas such as renewable energy, digital innovation, logistics, food security, and defence manufacturing.

US President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday ahead of a working lunch with G7 leaders, outreach partners, and leading technology executives.

Both leaders will hold discussions on economic growth, supply chains, artificial intelligence (AI), investment partnerships, and a range of global security challenges.

Earlier on Tuesday, PM Modi and President Trump met and exchanged greetings on the sidelines of a G7 Summit outreach session in France's Evian.

Both leaders shook hands and held a brief conversation ahead of the G7 working session on 'Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity' which is being attended by the G7 countries, partner nations, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank.

It was a delight to meet Prime Minister Carney on the sidelines of the Evian G7 Summit. In less than a year, it is our fourth meeting, indicating our commitment to strong India-Canada ties. We reviewed the full range of relations between our nations, notably the ground covered… pic.twitter.com/lGSURANBfc

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 16, 2026

“We welcome the progress made in peace efforts in West Asia. This conflict has caused loss of life and property in our friendly countries in the region. Disruptions to maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz have adversely affected the global economy. Several Indian civilians have also lost their lives. The safety of seafarers, who connect nations through global maritime trade, is our responsibility. We must ensure that sea routes remain secure and that seafarers can carry out their work without fear,” PM Modi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told world leaders at the G7 Summit that the misuse of trade and technology for narrow national interests has created a "trust deficit" in global affairs, calling for a new era of international solidarity built on transparency rather than transactional ties.

#WATCH | On the sidelines of G7 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a bilateral meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Evian, France.
(Video: ANI/DD) pic.twitter.com/1pPZyRmOlQ

— ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2026

#WATCH | Evian, France: During bilateral meeting with Canadian PM Mark Carney, PM Narendra Modi says, "I am delighted that our first meeting was at G7, and today we are meeting after a year. As you mentioned, we have met four times. We have been openly exchanging views on… pic.twitter.com/aOI9Ou3e3C

— ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2026

The G7 Summit at Evian, France brought Zelensky face-to-face with US President Donald Trump.

Zelensky on Monday urged a "decisive and substantive" response from the G7 leaders after the latest wave of Russian strikes, which killed at least 11 people and sparked a fire at a landmark Kyiv cathedral.

He revealed he had proposed a meeting with Putin at the G7 in France, but that Moscow was "not ready" for it. 

Later Monday, Zelensky also said he had suggested to Trump that he could meet Putin in the United States, suggesting the Kremlin strongman would find such an offer "harder to refuse".

Shared my thoughts at the Outreach Session on ‘Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity’ at the G7 Summit in Evian. In a world that is getting more interconnected and interdependent than ever before, this subject becomes all the more vital. But,… pic.twitter.com/NjNddWGtFF

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 16, 2026

On the sidelines of the ongoing G7 Summit in Evian, France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a crucial bilateral meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Speaking at the G7 Outreach Session on ‘Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity,’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that trust is the foundation of any global alliance. Noting that the world is more interdependent than ever, he stated that the globe doesn't suffer from a shortage of resources, but a shortage of trust. "The future of our partnerships depends on re-building this trust," PM Modi posted on X.

स्वागत है @narendramodi. pic.twitter.com/qmdGdDrFSu

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 16, 2026

Before the start of the proceedings at the G7 Summit in Evian this afternoon.
Always insightful to exchange perspectives with G7 leaders.@G7 pic.twitter.com/54wJN40uan

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 16, 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump were seen interacting at the G7 summit in Evian, France, on Tuesday. This is the first meeting between the two leaders in 16 months.

Prior to this interaction, the last time the two leaders met face-to-face was in February 2025 at the White House in Washington, DC, shortly after Trump's second inauguration.

PM Modi arrived in France to attend the G7 Summit and exchange views with world leaders on key global issues.

Thank you for the welcome in Evian my friend, President Macron!@EmmanuelMacron@G7 pic.twitter.com/SldqZbWPb0

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 16, 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attended the crucial Outreach Session of the G7 Summit currently being held in Evian, France.

The Outreach Session is an expanded segment of the summit where core G7 member nations invite leaders from selected non-member countries and key international organiaations. The platform allows global leaders to collaborate and broaden discussions on pressing macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges.

The working session titled “Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity,” attended by G7 countries, partner countries, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the Outreach Session of G7 Summit in Evian, France.
(Video source: DD News) pic.twitter.com/pkLSwviEwM

— ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2026

French President Emmanuel Macron warmly welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrived to attend the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in France's Evian on Tuesday. PM Modi and Macron hugged and greeted each other as they met in Evian ahead of an outreach session which is also being attended by US President Donald Trump and other leaders of the grouping.

#WATCH | French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the venue of G7 Summit 2026, in Evian, France.

(Video: DD News) pic.twitter.com/PNoowePFaf

— ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2026

Speaking at the G7 summit in France, President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday (June 16) that the United States will soon be in a position to reimpose sanctions against Russian oil. The move comes as G7 world leaders look for fresh ways to intensify economic pressure on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.

"Soon we will be able to do that as the oil is now flowing," Trump said, referencing eased supply constraints through the Strait of Hormuz following a recent deal with Iran to end regional conflict.

Reached Evian, France for the G7 Summit.
Looking forward to engaging with world leaders and exchanging views on key global issues.
India remains committed to advancing collective efforts for a more sustainable and prosperous planet.@G7 pic.twitter.com/By29Zuhs71

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 16, 2026