The G7 summit in the French spa town of Évian-les-Bains concluded with a display of unity that few had anticipated. In a joint statement, the leaders of the world’s seven largest advanced economies pledged to intensify sanctions on Russia’s energy sector, specifically targeting oil and gas revenues that fuel Moscow’s war machine. The move was explicitly linked to a deal brokered by President Donald Trump to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global crude shipments, which the G7 endorsed as creating the right moment for additional economic pressure. Viewed from Washington, the alignment marked a notable hardening of Trump’s stance towards the Kremlin, a shift that European diplomats in Évian described as a return to the resolute language of earlier G7 communiqués.

The military dimension of the summit’s outcome was equally significant. The G7 committed to accelerating deliveries of air defence systems, interceptor missiles, and long-range strike capabilities to Ukraine. In a move that could reshape Kyiv’s defence industrial base, the leaders also signalled readiness to extend licensing arrangements that would boost domestic Ukrainian military production. This package, analysts in London note, goes beyond previous pledges by linking immediate battlefield needs with longer-term capacity building. The economic squeeze was reinforced by a promise to tighten existing sanctions and consider new measures against Russia’s war economy, with the oil and gas sectors squarely in the crosshairs.

The summit produced a diplomatic surprise on Iran. On the margins, a rare electronic memorandum of understanding was signed between the US and Iranian leaders, formalising the Hormuz agreement and hinting at a broader de-escalatory path. The G7’s discussions on Iran, which included partners from the Global South, reflected a cautious optimism that the nuclear standoff might be entering a new phase. From New Delhi’s vantage point, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines, the summit underscored the growing role of non-G7 powers in shaping outcomes. Modi’s presence, alongside other invited leaders, lent the gathering a more inclusive character at a time when multilateralism is under strain.

Yet the harmony in Évian carries an expiration date. Trump’s history of abrupt reversals—he walked out early from last year’s G7 in Canada—leaves European capitals wary. The US president’s newfound cooperation may prove transactional, tied to the Hormuz deal’s success or his domestic political calculus. For Ukraine, however, the immediate gains are tangible: a renewed supply of advanced weaponry and a tightening economic vice on Russia. The G7, often dismissed as a relic of a bygone economic order, demonstrated that it can still marshal collective action when great-power interests align. Whether that alignment survives the next Trumpian pivot is the question hanging over the lakeside diplomacy.