6.20pm BST
Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap for today!
US president Donald Trump said he hoped “something will happen” in peace talks with Russia and Ukraine, as he praised “productive” talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in France and Vladimir Putin over the phone ( 18:34 ).
His comments come at the end of a two-day G7 summit in France, with Emmanuel Macron ( 17:03 , 17:07 ), Germany’s Friedrich Merz ( 13:32 ) and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni ( 16:34 , 16:36 ) praising progress on getting the US closer to Europe’s position on supporting Ukraine.
Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte earlier said that the idea of potential talks with Russia was “clearly debated among allies” ( 11:44 ).
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa .
6.20pm BST
Trump will now fly to Paris to attend a formal dinner at the Palace of Versailles, and l et’s just say that not everyone in France is excited about this, as our Paris correspondent Angelique Chrisafis reports.
Related: ‘Very naive’: French left up in arms as Macron hosts Trump at Versailles
6.12pm BST
Trump ends the presser on a slightly random comment saying that if JD Vance goes to sign the deal with Iran, “if it works out, I’m going to take the credit; if it doesn’t work out, I’m blaming JD.”
“You better be careful, JD, he’s going to turn his plane around and get the hell out of here. Yeah, I like that idea. I think it’s a good idea.”
And that’s us done.
6.06pm BST
Trump is now talking about Brazil, saying it “has become a little rough” and “a little dangerous politically.”
That’s his response to this story I think :
Related: Jair Bolsonaro’s son sentenced to four years in jail for seeking US interference in father’s Brazil coup trial
5.58pm BST
I think we’re essentially going in circles now.
Trump got a question on energy prices going down, and so he goes back to his Iran deal and praises himself for it.
5.45pm BST
Curiously, Trump also thanks Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping for staying neutral on Iran, saying otherwise “they could have made it much more difficult for us.”
5.43pm BST
Trump hopes Europe will 'find its way' on energy, immigration
Trump says he is looking forward to a “very special” dinner with Macron as he wants to see the Palace of Versailles, because it “has a lot of gold.”
He then says he hopes Europe will “find its way,” as it is “having a lot of hard times” with energy and immigration.
And then he moves to Q&A.
5.40pm BST
Trump also praises his bilateral talks, including specifically with France’s Macron, which he says was “a very good meeting.”
He doesn’t mention any other European leader here – despite repeated praise for leaders of Qatar, Egypt, India, and UAE.
Earlier, he also spoke about AI, saying “it’s going to be the biggest thing ever,” before adding “we have to be very careful with it: it’s both great and could be bad, we have to be careful with it.”
5.36pm BST
Trump also says there was “a great deal of unity” on tackling irregular migration and drug trafficking at the G7 summit, with “a beautiful statement” on the latter.
5.34pm BST
'I think they both want to do something,' Trump says after talking to Zelenskyy, Putin
Trump is back to script, and he moves on to Ukraine.
He says he had “a productive conversation” with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy and then Russia’s Putin on the phone.
He suggests “something is going to happen,” as he says Russia – the “offensive” party - is losing more soldiers than Ukraine.
He says he had “a very good conversation” with Putin and “a very, very good conversation with Zelenskyy.
“ I think they both want to do something. They just don’t know how to do it.”
He then swiftly moves on to international aid and the Ebola outbreak in Africa.
Updated at 5.41pm BST
5.31pm BST
Trump also once again mentions Lebanon.
“The Lebanon peace is something we’ll have to work on a little bit. It’s a very small piece of the puzzle, actually, but it still makes a lot of noise.”
He says he hopes the peace agreement with Iran will be the beginning of a larger peace settlement across the Middle East.
5.26pm BST
Trump says he will work with the Gulf nations on “non-nuclear issues” but claims that maritime traffic through the strait of Hormuz “has already incrased very substantially” as a result of his political deal.
He then goes back to praising himself.
“What I’m doing and what I did should have been done years ago, would have been much easier, much less firepower, but it wasn’t.”
He says no US president in history has ever been tougher on Iran , before mentioning Suleimaini for the umpteenth time, and repeating his warning that if Iran doesn’t honour the deal, “we will probably go back to bombing them.”
Updated at 5.27pm BST
5.18pm BST
Trump is still on Iran.
He says the deal will be signed shortly; maybe tomorrow, maybe Friday.
Updated at 5.18pm BST
5.11pm BST
He is still praising himself for Iran and Suleimani, “one of the biggest event to happen in the Middle East, maybe ever.”
I will pick up any other lines when (if?) he eventually moves on.
But it’s worth noting a slight sense of frustration with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu as he says he “gets a little excited sometimes,” and they “have a little dispute over Lebanon.”
“Bibi, you don’t have to knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that’s from Hezbollah,” he says.
Updated at 5.12pm BST
5.04pm BST
Trump swiftly pivots to Iran, saying his deal “achieves everything we set out to accomplish and … much more.”
“If we didn’t do this deal, we could have dropped more bombs for another three weeks, two weeks, four weeks, two years, you years, you would never have the Hormuz strait open, you would never have success,” he says.
He says he “didn’t want to see economic catastrophe. If you kept this going, that could have happened.”
He also pats himself on the back for killing Iranian leader Qassem Suleimani , saying it was pre-requisite for this deal.
He says the G7 summit was “a chance to discuss the details of this historic agreement,” and says he kept getting praise for it from all leaders he met.
Updated at 5.14pm BST
5.02pm BST
Trump briefing press after G7 summit
Oh, Trump is here and speaking now.
He begins with thanks to France’s Macron for a very successful G7 summit.
You can watch along live here:
4.59pm BST
EU opening communication channels with Kremlin, official says
The office of European Council president António Costa has made “brief contacts at diplomatic level” with the Kremlin in recent weeks “to open communication channels”, an EU official said in comments reported by Reuters.
But “nothing was discussed on substance,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “In any future scenario, the EU has specific interests that will need to be defended, therefore it is important to have established diplomatic channels with Russia.”
The official added:
“The EU is not a mediator. It supports Ukraine in its efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace.“
4.38pm BST
We still think we are going to hear from Donald Trump this afternoon, too, before he leaves for Paris and the said dinner at the Palace of Versailles.
I am keeping an eye on this for you.
4.28pm BST
Macron takes a few questions on the deal with Iran and his views about the strait of Hormuz and Lebanon.
But in the penultimate question, he also gets asked about his relationship with Donald Trump , with the journalist suggesting Macron is on a charm offensive to get the US president on side – including through their formal dinner at the Palace of Versailles tonight.
Macron says he was always very open about areas where the pair disagreed – for example on Greenland or Ukraine – but it’s the nature of diplomacy that you work to figure it out. But whenever they agree on something, they follow through on that agreement.
He says the last two days show how much can be achieved when discussions are still being held, despite some past disagreements.
He says what matters is that he defends France’s interests, and, of course, hosting a dinner at the Palace of Versailles is part of broader diplomacy.
And on that point, we end the presser.
4.07pm BST
Macron says the discussions were “extremely frank” and “useful,” but ended with people’s positions “evolving” to help them “re-align” on Ukraine.
4.04pm BST
Here’s a picture of Macron taken during this press conference.
4.03pm BST
Macron hails 'profound shift in approach' to Ukraine as US gets closer to Europe
Macron defends the agreed wording on Ukraine, saying it goes quite far in its support for Ukraine.
He says the agreed language marks “a very profound shift in approach,” including a “clear willingness” of the US to work with Europeans to support Ukraine.
He also criticises Russia for showing no real intention to engage with the peace process.
Updated at 4.11pm BST
3.58pm BST
Macron ends his statement talking about digital and AI.
He focuses on the need to protect children online – a big part of his political legacy in France – and to responsibly regulate AI.
“We all want innovation,” he says, but cannot ignore the risks to our democracies and societies.
He says key AI models must not fall into the hands of authoritarian regimes.
There is also a brief summary on other topics, but then he turns to Q&A – which kicks off with a question on Ukraine.
3.44pm BST
Macron also talks about the continuing support for Ukraine on energy infrastructure and its fight to stop Russia’s shadow fleet.
He says he is happy that the G7 ends with “such convergence” on Ukraine , which he hails as “real progress”.
He then moves to other topics, including the situation in the Middle East, stressing the G7’s backing for Trump’s Iran deal, and to efforts to fight Ebola.
I will keep monitoring for more Ukraine and Europe lines.
Updated at 3.49pm BST
3.41pm BST
'Balance of power has profoundly shifted' to favour Ukraine, Macron says
Turning to Ukraine, Macron says the leaders had an “in-depth” discussion on Ukraine, which allowed to “find significant areas of agreement.”
He stresses their “unwavering support for Ukraine,” and notes that “the balance of power has profoundly shifted in recent months” as “Ukraine is advancing and resisting; Russia is retreating.”
He says the leaders have agreed to increase the provision of air defence capabilities and systems to help Ukraine even further.
He also says the leaders backed Ukraine’s request for licensing arrangements so they can produce some of that equipment themselves.
Updated at 3.50pm BST
3.39pm BST
Meanwhile, Macron says the G7 summit was a success, stressing it was held “against an extremely difficult backdrop of a fragmented world” – but it was a “moment of unity” as the leaders focused on areas for cooperation.
Updated at 3.41pm BST
3.36pm BST
Italy's Meloni pushes for single EU negotiator on Ukraine
Oh, that’s tasty.
Meloni also says that she will propose a single EU negotiator for Ukraine when the EU leaders meet for an EU summit in Brussels later this week.
She says the negotiator should come from “a medium-sized country,” not one of the largest countries.
One to watch.
Updated at 3.37pm BST
3.34pm BST
Italy's Meloni welcomes agreement with Trump on Ukraine at G7 summit
Separately, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni is briefing the media, too.
She says that the G7 leaders reached an agreement with Trump over Ukraine, stressing this “cannot always be taken for granted.”
It increasingly looks like this morning’s agreed G7 statement ( 9:29 ) on Ukraine should be seen as a win for Europe.
Meloni also says there was an overall “good climate” of talks at the summit.
3.31pm BST
Macron briefing media after G7 summit in France
France’s Emmanuel Macron is now finally speaking.
You can watch along below, but I will bring you all the key lines here.
3.26pm BST
'I think it will be done,' Trump says on Iran deal
Trump is also speaking on the Iran deal a lot, saying he has been doing all sorts of deals “all my life.”
“I’ve gone into deals that were 100% and they don’t happen. I’ve gone into deals that there was no chance of getting them done, and it happens, and they happen easily. So, you never know what deals do, but you’re going to find out pretty soon. I think it will be done.”
He also hails his relationship with Indian PM Modi, declares the US would always be there to defend India if needed, and talks up potential trade and cooperation opportunities.
And that’s it. As ever, more on that on the Middle East blog.
Related: Middle East crisis live: Trump warns US will ‘go back to shooting’ if Iran ‘don’t behave’, as G7 leaders call for Lebanon ceasefire
And I’m going back to waiting for Macron .
3.17pm BST
Trump also gets asked about Nato’s help in the strait of Hormuz.
He says “we don’t need them,” but “if they want to,” they can do it.
3.16pm BST
Trump gets asked if he thinks Putin is responsible for the war in Ukraine.
He says:
“I don’t want to comment on that, because I’m trying to get it settled, and that doesn’t make it easy. ”
3.15pm BST
'We are looking at' sanctions on Russia as oil price coming down, Trump says
Trump also gets asked about whether he is going to impose further sanctions on Russia.
He says:
“ We are looking at that, we’re seeing how far the price of oil comes down. It’s really tumbling, I guess, 74, 75 right now, … so it’s down, it’s soon going to be at the number that it was four months ago.
It’s pretty amazing, and on top of that, we will have an Iran without a nuclear weapon, which I can tell you, the prime minister [Modi] feels very strongly about that too.”
3.13pm BST
Trump says he had 'very good talks' with Zelenskyy, Putin
Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump is speaking at a bilateral meeting with Indian PM Narendra Modi.
He immediately gets asked for an update on Ukraine, and he says:
“Well, I had very good talks with President Zelenskyy and with President Putin , and we’d like to see that one end.
I ended eight wars, and to be honest with you, I thought this would have been one of the easier ones, but they’re not liking each other too much, and that makes it much more difficult. ”
Updated at 3.19pm BST
3.05pm BST
We are still waiting for the post-G7 pressers.
We will bring them live as soon as they start.
2.38pm BST
Killing of Russian artist has hallmarks of political assassination, Poland's Tusk says
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said the killing of a Russian artist who was critical of president Vladimir Putin has the hallmarks of a political assassination, AP reported.
Robert Kuzovkov, known by the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, was shot and killed at close range near his home in the eastern Polish city of Biala Podlaska on Monday.
“Everything points to this being a political murder,” Tusk said at a news briefing in Warsaw.
“But we must wait for evidence or more concrete indications. Because if that was the case – if it was ordered by Russia – then it is an extremely serious matter internationally. It would constitute state terrorism. ”
Tusk said the victim had been offered state protection by Polish police and security services amid concerns about his safety, but had declined the offer.
“ The case is difficult. If there’s a hired killer involved, it’s unfortunately not easy to identify such a person,” he said.
2.35pm BST
As we still wait for Macron and Trump to hold their respective press conferences, let me bring you an update from Poland on the killing of a Russian artist critical of president Vladimir Putin, which we also covered on the blog yesterday ( Europe Live, Tuesday ).
2.17pm BST
'Drones do not have borders,' Latvia's PM says as he calls for push to develop anti-drone measures
Latvia’s Kulbergs also says that Europe needs to step up its anti-drone defences, learning from Ukraine’s experiences in shooting them down.
Nato members Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania have all had experiences with drone incursions over the last year.
Kulbergs says the situation requires “a close cooperation” between numerous countries, as “we know that drones develop” all the time.
“We know that the enemy learns fast as well, so this means anti-drone, identification, surveillance, the whole coverage,” he said.
He added this would be needed “not just [for] Latvia, but Baltics, … Poland, … Finland … because drones do not have [respect] borders.”
Nato’s Rutte says Nato is already working on it through its Eastern Sentry mission, too.
2.13pm BST
'We need more boots on the ground,' Latvian PM says as he stresses 'best way to protect us is to prepare for the worst'
As we wait for more G7 leaders to give us their thoughts on the summit, Latvia’s Andris Kulbergs is speaking in Brussels, alongside Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte.
Kulbergs was only appointed late last month after the previous government, led by Evika Siliņa, collapsed over its response to repeated drone incursions into the country.
Related: Latvian prime minister resigns amid row over drone incursions
And Kulbergs makes it very clear that he thinks Latvia needs to be better prepared to respond to all sorts of security threats, primarily from Russia.
Answering questions from reporters, he has offered this stark assessment of the security situation in this part of Europe:
“ We need more boots on the ground, and we need more allied forces presence in not only Latvia, [but] in Baltics, and Eastern Flank, and that is a necessary part in discussion and debate we had today together.
So the best way to protect us is to prepare for the worst, which means to have the best defence possible, and that will always be the part of deterrence, much better than doing less.
His comments come just hours after Denmark said it would send a battalion to Latvia later this year ( 13:46 ).
Updated at 2.14pm BST
1.37pm BST
G7 leaders discuss AI with OpenAI, Anthropic CEOs
The afternoon session at the G7 summit was all about the rise of AI, featuring the leaders of OpenAI and Anthropic.
Let’s see some pictures from inside the room:
Updated at 1.41pm BST
1.15pm BST
Back to G7, we are expecting to hear from France’s Emmanuel Macron at some point this afternoon as the summit slowly wraps up.
I will keep an eye on this.
1.13pm BST
What do you think? Let us know your thoughts on 'not for sale' protests in Albania
And here, at the Guardian, we would like to hear from Albanians about how they view the protests against a planned luxury resort.
Let us know your thoughts.
Related: People in Albania: share your thoughts on the recent ‘not for sale’ protests
1.12pm BST
‘Europe, can you hear us?,’ ask protesters in Albania as outcry over proposed Jared Kushner luxury tourism development continues
Albanians have been protesting for weeks against a planned luxury resort backed by a company linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald Trump, near Vlora, which is famed for its flamingos and a turtle nesting site.
If you are new to the story, here is the summary of what it’s about:
And thousands took to the streets of Tirana again last night:
12.46pm BST
Denmark to deploy battalion to Latvia this autumn to deter Russia
In other news, Denmark’s military will deploy a battalion of 850 troops to Nato member Latvia in the autumn, taking over from a Swedish contingent that was stationed in the region, Danish defence minister Jeppe Bruus said.
“ It’s important that we play our part in deterring Russia. Everyone can see how the situation is unfolding, and it’s obviously a serious matter,” Bruus told reporters after giving a closed-door briefing to Danish parliamentarians, Reuters reported.
Europe is assuming more responsibility for its own security amid criticism from US president Donald Trump, who recently accused European Nato members of a lack of support in the Iran war and has announced a drawdown of troops from Germany.
12.32pm BST
Germany's Merz welcomes G7 support for Ukraine, says 'sets new tone'
We are going to hear from others leaders this afternoon too, including from the much-praised ( 12:52 ) host, France’s Emmanuel Macron.
Germany’s Friedrich Merz was one of the first ones out, praising the G7’s joint declaration of support for Ukraine ( 9:29 ).
“This is the first time since president Trump took office that we have issued a joint declaration at a G7 summit and found common language on the major foreign and security policy issues of our time. I consider that a real success,” he said in comments quoted by Reuters.
“This sets a new tone, including regarding transatlantic unity and resolve,” he added.
11.58am BST
'If they don't behave, we will go right back to dropping bombs right smack in middle of their heads,' Trump says on Iran
In another very normal Trump diplomacy moment, the US president is now telling reporters that the Iran deal is not really final yet.
“It’s not final. It’s a memorandum of understanding, and if I don’t like it, we’ll go back to shooting at them , dropping bombs on their head.
If I don’t like it, if they don’t behave, we’ll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head, okay, because they’ve misbehaved for 47 years.”
He also says the Iranians “laughed at Obama” and added they “said he is a stupid son of a bitch.”
Make of that what you will.
Updated at 12.01pm BST
11.52am BST
Trump praises Macron, France for 'great summit'
But notably Trump , who occassionally enjoys immitating Emmanuel Macron’s French accent in English, is now going out of his way to praise the French leader for the G7 summit.
He says “it has been a great summit and France has done a fantastic job.”
“ President Macron has been really, he’s really done a great job.
It’s been very well received. Everybody here has been, I don’t know if they’ve been happy, some are not doing so well, but some are doing very well, but they’ve done a beautiful job.”
11.50am BST
Other than that, Trump is raving about his Iran deal, claiming he stopped “a worldwide depression” that some “stupid people” advocated for.
He says the strait of Hormuz is “already partially opened” and “it’s going to be opening up soon in full over the next day or two.”
I will leave the details of that for my colleagues over on the Middle East blog.
Related: Middle East crisis live: leaders at G7 issue joint statement calling for ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Lebanon to secure US-Iran deal
11.48am BST
Trump says he will host a press conference at the end of G7 summit
Trump says he will host a press conference at the end of the G7 summit around 4pm local time (3pm UK), before travelling to Paris for a formal dinner at the Palace of Versailles.
He says he will be discussing the Iran deal, among other things.
Put that in your calendar then. We will cover it live here.
11.46am BST
Meanwhile, the US president, Donald Trump , is now taking part in bilateral talks with the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
They are speaking with reporters, so I will keep an eye on lines on Europe and Ukraine.
11.42am BST
G7 agreed on 'new steps to put pressure' on Russia, Zelenskyy says
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered a pretty diplomatic, but positive, take on the G7 discussions on Ukraine.
In a post on X, he said :
“The G7 Summit in France delivered important results for Ukraine. Most importantly, we agreed on additional strengthening of Ukraine’s air defense. There will be new steps to put pressure on Russia over its war – pressure for the sake of peace. Our partners will ensure support for our defense and energy resilience.
It is important that we have a shared understanding of the main challenges and concrete steps to respond to them. Our global unity is truly reducing Russia’s ability to continue this insane and criminal aggression against Ukraine. I thank everyone who is helping us!”
11.23am BST
This has got to be my favourite photo of Trump at the G7 summit so far.
Sums the event up nicely, really.
11.22am BST
Italy keeping close eye on Trump-Meloni relations after tense months
Rome correspondent
The Italian press has been keeping a close eye on Donald Trump and Giorgia Meloni at the G7.
The pair had a falling out in April for two reasons: Italy’s refusal to support the US-Israeli war in Iran and then Trump’s extraordinary broadside against Pope Leo in reaction to the pontiff’s condemnation of the war.
But relations appear to have begun thawing in Evian.
As they met on Tuesday, Trump said “you abandoned me”, and Meloni responded: “That’s not true, we’ve always been friends.”
She later told reporters that “things went well with Trump” after the G7’s first official round of talks. The pair will reportedly meet again on the sidelines.
Before the fallout, Meloni had nurtured good relations with Trump, mostly rooted in shared nationalistic rhetoric, and was the only European leader invited to attend his inauguration as US president.
11.07am BST
'I am the boss,' Trump tells G7 leaders before morning session
Meanwhile, back to G7, the White House has published a video of the moment Trump arrived in the room for this morning’s session – and told other leaders “I am the boss.”
Oh, well.
Updated at 12.17pm BST
10.48am BST
Rutte also gets asked if Trump is moving closer to Ukraine’s position on ending the war.
He says, obviously, he has “always been positive about the US position,” and praises Trump for “breaking the deadlock” last year.
He says the situation on the battlefield “has changed somewhat” as “Russia is not making advances at the moment.”
He says “Ukraine is really doing better” now, but ending the war needed “two to tango,” and he says Putin does not seem to be ready to join talks yet.
“And here the American president is, I think, playing a very positive role now for a year and a half in trying to get this war done, he wants to get it done, and I completely support him.”
And that ends the presser.
10.44am BST
Potential reopening of dialogue with Russia 'clearly debated among allies,' Rutte says
Rutte gets asked about potential reopening of channels with Russia, as advocated by some leaders, including Finland’s Alexander Stubb.
He says “clearly it is something debated among allies,” primarily through the EU, but it’s not something that came up at the Nato level so far.
“It’s really a discussion playing out in the EU at the moment, and of course we are following that, and will be supportive wherever we can.”
10.39am BST
Rutte gets pressed on his points about Europe taking more responsibility for their own defence, as he gets challenged that this could take away from their support for Ukraine.
The has the two need to go “hand in hand, and everybody realises that.”
10.38am BST
Rutte says that the G7 statement on Ukraine today shows that all Nato allies are “completely commited to making sure that Ukraine maintains its position in the fight against Russia, and is able to defend itself.”
He says the US also continues its support in areas that only they can provide, including the air defence Patriot systems, which is paid for by European and Canadian allies.
He says he wants the summit to deliver “an absolute ironclad commitment” to Nato spending pledges from last year, and to Ukraine.
10.35am BST
'We are not naive,' Rutte says on reports China helps Russia with military training
Rutte also gets asked about China’s apparent help to Russia through training, as recently disclosed by the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas.
He says Nato is “constantly trying to follow exactly what China is doing.”
“ We are not naive. We follow everything exactly. I cannot tell you more at this moment, or at least in this open press conference, but you can be assured that we follow every [bit].”
10.28am BST
Rutte gets asked about the Czech Republic’s troubles with getting to 2% defence spending under Andrej Babiš .
He says:
“We know each other for many years, and I know that the Czech Republic is as committed as everyone to what we decided in The Hague.
Czechia did not reach the 2% last year, but I know that the Czech government is working very hard to make sure that when it comes to a credible trajectory, it will be there.”
10.26am BST
Rutte says he expects Zelenskyy to have a full programme of meetings at Nato’s summit in Ankara next month, but notably “no sit down with all the 32 leaders.”
10.24am BST
Rutte gets asked about what Ukraine is likely to get from the Nato summit next month.
He says there were already some positive statement coming out of the G7 in France.
He says Nato will “focus particularly, of course, on what Ukraine needs to maintain the fight,” including the flow of military equipment, including the US interceptors for the Patriot system.
He says the focus will be on “making sure the money is there.”
“I’m pretty confident that collectively we’ll make sure you have what you need as far as Europeans and Americans can help to defend yourself, ” he says.
10.19am BST
Rutte gets pushed further about the question on timeline, which he completely avoided answering at the first time of asking.
He gives a muddled answer, saying it’s impossible to answer this question.
“It’s not that you can answer that question with a yes or no. It’s clear that US has adjusted its commitment to the Nato force model, but it’s in technical terms, it is not a yes or no.”
10.17am BST
Rutte gets asked about spending commitments, and some countries that appear to be dragging their feet.
He says that overall, the increases are “really staggering,” with many countries “really ramping up” their spending.
10.16am BST
Rutte also gets asked about the potential Nato/European assistance in the strait of Hormuz.
He says it comes outside the Nato framework, but it is clear that France and the UK are coordinating on this, and it was discussed at the G7 summit in France.
“Whether Nato will play a role there, yes or no… if helpful, of course we will play a role, but if they can do it without us, also okay; we are always ready to help if so wanted.”
10.14am BST
Let’s say journalists are somewhat suspicious of the positive spin Rutte is putting on the changes to the Nato Force Model.
He gets asked about them further.
He stays on message:
“We have already seen that, as the United States has adjusted its pledge contributions, other allies have stepped up to contribute more, in some cases completely, in some cases nearly, but there are also areas that require more work, but the overall picture is looking good.”
10.10am BST
Rutte says the adjustment in the US pledge to the Nato Force Model is “not primarily about where forces and assets are currently, but about who would do what if our defence plans were activated.”
He says historically the model was “overly reliant” on the US.
“Now the US has adjusted its pledged contributions, and other allies have stepped up to contribute more, and this is fair. This makes us stronger,” he argues.
10.09am BST
Rutte also chooses to address the speculations about the US military presence in Europe.
He says:
“You will likely have seen news adjusting its contributions to the Nato force model. In some cases, this has been cast as a problem, as the US pulling away from its allies, but that is not the reality. The US has made clear that it is committed to Nato.
That commitment comes with an expectation that allies will more fairly share the responsibility for our security here in Europe.”
He says that European allies and Canada are capable of shouldering more responsibility for Nato’s activities.
Updated at 10.12am BST
10.08am BST
Nato faces 'dynamic security environment,' secretary general Rutte says
Rutte is speaking now.
He says tomorrow’s meeting of Nato’s defence ministers will be the last before next month’s Ankara summit.
“We have a lot to talk about,” he says.
Rutte says Nato continues to “face a dynamic security environment,” which is presumably an euphemism for, erm, “the world is on fire.”
But, as he does so often, he then swiftly moves to praising Trump, this time for his Iran deal. He says Nato allies, such as France and the UK, are ready to support operations in the strait of Hormuz.
More broadly, he says Nato needs “more forces, more resources, and a much stronger industrial base.”
He says allies will be expected to give an update on how they are meeting the 5% GDP target by 2035.
“So I expect nations to present clear, concrete, credible plans to reach that goal , ideally well ahead of the agreed timeline.”
10.02am BST
Nato's Rutte briefing media ahead of defence ministers's meeting, summit next month
Meanwhile, let’s cross to Brussels, where Nato secretary general Mark Rutte is about to give his press conference ahead of tomorrow’s meeting of defence ministers – and less than a month before the alliance’s annual summit in Ankara.
You can watch along below, and I will bring you all the key lines here.
9.35am BST
There he is!
9.33am BST
As day 2 of the summit gets under way, it briefly looked like we would have a prominent absence with the US secretary of commerce, Scott Bessent taking the seat between Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer.
But just as Macron was instructing leaders how to use their microphones, the US president, Donald Trump, arrived slightly late and took the US seat.
Updated at 9.35am BST
9.19am BST
G7 summit continues with talks on economic growth, AI - in pictures
Day 2 of the G7 summit is about to formally get under way, with the focus today on economic growth and AI.
Let’s show you some pictures from inside the room as the invited leaders are gathering for their opening session.
8.59am BST
Can Trump be convinced to back Ukraine? - The Latest podcast
Donald Trump has urged Russia to “make a deal” with Ukraine as the leaders of G7 countries meet on Tuesday and try to put the conflict back at the top of the agenda.
European leaders are hoping to capture Trump’s attention for long enough to speak to him about Ukraine, with the US president’s focus more on the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Nosheen Iqbal speaks to the Guardian’s Europe correspondent , Jon Henley.
8.40am BST
Starmer’s waning influence is apparent at awkward G7 summit
in Évian les-Bains
The wait for Keir Starmer’s first session of the G7 gathering in Évian-les-Bains was undoubtedly awkward.
A meeting about the future of Ukraine had been due to start at 9am but more than half an hour later, Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron were nowhere to be seen.
On a live Reuters feed, Starmer could be seen standing next to the leaders of Canada and Japan as they milled about making small talk. “Are they, are they having a meeting?” the British prime minister could be heard asking.
If he was referring to the missing attenders, and they were indeed having a meeting, it was clear he hadn’t been invited.
It was a moment that epitomised Starmer’s fragility during what could be one of his final outings on the world stage.
Arriving on the red carpet at the Hotel Royal, the luxurious G7 venue on the shores of Lake Geneva, he smiled and shook hands, seemingly untroubled by the prospect of a leadership challenge that could come within days if Andy Burnham is elected in the Makerfield byelection on Thursday.
Related: Starmer’s waning influence is apparent at awkward G7 summit
8.29am BST
Morning opening: G7 commits to 'unwavering support for Ukraine'
Despite some early concerns about Donald Trump’s position, the G7 leaders meeting in France have agreed on a statement declaring their “unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”
The statement, published overnight, says:
“We commend Ukraine for its resilience and progress on the battlefield in recent months and emphasise there is now a new momentum.
To support and accelerate this new momentum, we agree to increase the delivery of air defence capacities, additional systems and interceptors, and long-range capabilities.
We are also ready to consider extending to Ukraine the benefit of licenses to allow for an increase in Ukraine’s military production.”
In a classic Trump-era move, the statement on Ukraine also includes some pointed praise of the US president in a pointed attempt to keep him on side:
“We commit to increase the pressure on the Russian war economy. In this context, we will strengthen our sanctions, including those on the oil and gas sectors. We consider this the right moment to proceed with additional measures, as president Trump has delivered a deal that we support in reopening the strait of Hormuz. ”
I guess, whatever works, right?
The leaders will continue their talks today discussing economic growth and AI, with the latter session likely to get some attention as they will meet with the bosses of OpenAI and Anthropic.
Later tonight, France’s Emmanuel Macron will host the US president at the Palace of Versailles to mark the 250th anniversary of the US independence. Unusually enthused Trump said last night that it was “a real deal,” and that he was looking forward to it.
Separately, we will hear from Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte this morning ahead of tomorrow’s meeting of the alliance’s defence ministers – and less than a month before the much-dreaded Ankara summit, which once again will be all about keeping Trump on side.
Lots to cover today.
It’s Wednesday, 17 June 2026 , it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live .
Good morning.