Macron's goal: Keep Trump at the table

Leaders of the Group of Seven countries arrived at the French lakeside resort yesterday, relieved after the US reached a deal to end the war with Iran, but also uneasy about new tariff threats from President Donald Trump.

The preliminary agreement with Iran and the next steps will be among several issues that leaders will address during the June 15-17 summit in Evian-les-Bains.

They will also seek to find common ground on the war in Ukraine, addressing global economic imbalances, and securing supplies of critical minerals beyond China, which dominates that market.

Trump comes at a time when world leaders are increasingly wary of the US, although French officials are pleased to have secured his presence after he left the G7 summit in Canada early last year.

Highlighting the tensions, Trump warned in an interview with the New York Post before leaving for the summit that he would have "no other choice" but to impose a 100 percent tariff on French wine unless Paris repeals a digital tax on American tech giants.

Then, in a social media post just before arriving at the summit, he turned to a topic that is a regular source of tension with centrist European allies: immigration.

"Unfortunately, if you import people from Third World countries, you quickly become a Third World country yourself - and there's nothing you can do about it," he wrote.

Trump's tariff threats, which come ahead of a summit that marks the diplomatic highlight of Emmanuel Macron's second and final term, are a blow to the unpopular French president, who is stepping down from office next year.

Macron is increasingly seen in France as a leader in the twilight of his term, but he still has influence on the global stage and managed to persuade Trump to agree to a glamorous dinner at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday, marking 250 years of US independence, Reuters writes.

Macron told French television station TF1 that France would not give in to Trump's tariff threats, adding: "Tariffs do no good to anyone, especially tariffs between G7 countries."

Trump's comments on tariffs and immigration show why other G7 leaders see him as an unpredictable partner. Many of them have directly implicated him in his unilateral decisions that have shaken the Middle East, global trade and diplomacy.

Expectations are already low for what can be achieved in Evian.

"Politiko" reported the assessments of French officials and European diplomats that the goal is not to reach major agreements, but to keep Trump at the table while discussing Ukraine and the energy crisis caused by the war with Iran.

For many diplomats arriving in the French Alps, the most important thing is to continue talks and preserve the semblance of unity.

"It will be a success if there is a joint photo," a European diplomat, speaking anonymously due to the diplomatic sensitivity of Trump's appearance at the G7 summit, told Politiko.

"It's a place where they will talk, but I'm not sure anything will come of it," said the former French official.

During the summit, Trump is scheduled to meet with leaders from the Middle East and participate in a working session with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Today's meeting with Zelensky comes at a time when Russia's advance in Ukraine has slowed, and Ukraine is seeking additional funds for military assistance from allies, but also after a wave of attacks on Kiev.

"This attack only strengthens our determination to do everything, together with allies and partners, to work towards a ceasefire that Russia persistently refuses, and then towards peace. We will work on this at the G7 summit," Macron said in a post on the X network.

Zelensky said yesterday that he had offered to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G7 summit to discuss ending the war, but that Putin was not ready to talk.

Zelensky's position has improved since Trump told him in the Oval Office last year that he had run out of trump cards.

However, as Reuters reports, greater US support may remain elusive, as Trump prioritizes closing the issue of war with Iran, which has eroded his support at home.

"The ceasefire increases the chances that the G7 will be more constructive, because now we can really talk about something concrete, something we can work on together," a senior French official told Reuters.

Macron also wants to push for action on global macroeconomic imbalances at the summit. But Trump's warning about tariffs could cause some friction, especially since French officials have previously said that a digital tax would not be a topic of discussion at the G7.