The European Union and its allies are ready to toughen sanctions on Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron said on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit on June 17.

"With President (Volodymyr) Zelensky at the G7. We stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people after last night’s massive Russian strikes," Macron said in a post to social media.

"We are determined to increase pressure on Russia to accept the immediate and unconditional ceasefire that Ukraine is ready for," he added.

Macron attended the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, from June 15-17. Global leaders discussed a wide range of topics, including Russia's war against Ukraine.

As the G7 leaders met in Canada, Russia launched one of its worst drone and missile attacks on Kyiv since it began its full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022, killing 16 people and injuring at least 134.

"The common position that is emerging is to say, 'We need to strengthen sanctions,'" CBC News reported, citing Macron.

Europe is proposing much tougher sanctions than the U.S. has imposed on Russia, Macron said, adding that the EU is in "very close co-ordination" with Canada, Japan, and the U.K.

Several countries, including Canada and the U.K., introduced additional sanctions on Russia as the G7 summit was ongoing.

Canada introduced a new military aid package for Ukraine in addition to its sanctions against Russia.

"In our view, this has changed the situation because it will allow us to bring Russia back to the negotiating table, as (U.S.) President (Donald) Trump has been demanding," Macron said, according to CBC News.

Zelensky attended the summit and met with various leaders, including Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Zelensky left the summit early, citing Russia's attack on Kyiv. The nearly nine-hour-long attack saw Moscow's forces launch large numbers of drones and missiles at Ukraine's capital.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the attack, calling it a "massive and brutal strike" timed deliberately to coincide with the G7 summit.

Zelensky described the drone and missile assault as "one of the most horrifying attacks on Kyiv."

‘He said he wasn’t going anywhere’ — Survivors search for missing following Russia’s deadliest attack on Kyiv this year

Sitting a few meters from the rubble of what used to be a nondescript nine-story residential building in Kyiv, Lilia rises to her feet every time another pile of debris is cleared from the site targeted by Russia during a mass overnight attack on June 17. “We are waiting (as

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova

French President Emmanuel Macron believes Donald Trump has come to understand that Vladimir Putin was dishonest about Russia’s willingness to pursue peace in Ukraine.

Macron expressed his view that Trump now recognizes Putin’s deception, according to reports from French television channel BFM TV.

 “I think that President Trump realizes that when President Putin told him he was ready for peace, he lied to him,” the French head of state said, while calling for the most durable ceasefire possible.

Speaking from Hanoi, Macron characterized the situation in Ukraine as unacceptable and extremely serious.

“One cannot say they are ready to discuss and then bomb,” the French president stated. “This double talk shows the inauthentic character of the discussions that may have taken place.”

The French president joined other European leaders in wanting to establish a deadline for Putin to implement a ceasefire, with the prospect of massive retaliation if that timeline is not met. Macron also noted that Russia’s war destabilizes both Europe and Asia, and expressed hope that Trump’s anger over Russian attacks would translate into concrete action.

Trump says Putin “has gone absolutely crazy” and kills a lot of people “needlessly”

Trump’s response to the 25 May Russian missile and drone attack that killed at least 12 Ukrainian civilians demonstrated a shift in his public stance toward Putin.

In comments to journalists, Trump questioned what had happened to the Russian leader, stating he was killing many people and that he did not approve of such actions.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump escalated his criticism further, writing that Putin had “gone absolutely CRAZY” and was “needlessly killing a lot of people.” The US president described missiles and drones being fired into Ukrainian cities “for no reason whatsoever.”

Despite condemning Putin’s actions, Trump also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying his statements cause problems and demanding they stop. Trump characterized the conflict as a war that would not have occurred under his presidency, calling it “Zelenskyy’s, Putin’s, and Biden’s War.”

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the negotiation process as a highly responsible moment that carries emotional weight for all parties involved and generates emotional reactions. He stated that Russia is closely monitoring all responses to the situation and emphasized that Putin makes decisions based on what he considers necessary for ensuring Russia’s state security.

Ukrainian scholar Valerii Pekar responded to Trump’s remarks by challenging what he sees as a fundamental misconception. According to Pekar, Trump’s belief that Putin was previously a good leader who suddenly changed reflects a broader Western misunderstanding about Russia’s political nature.

Pekar argued that Russia never functioned as a democracy, except for a brief transitional period after the Soviet collapse that lasted only until 1993. He described Russia’s political system as historically characterized by predatory authoritarianism, placing Putin within a pattern of rulers including Ivan the Terrible, Peter I, and Stalin.

The scholar warned that viewing Putin’s regime as a temporary deviation from democratic norms could lead to significant geopolitical miscalculations, as this perspective suggests the situation can simply be waited out rather than actively confronted.