G7 summit: Merz calls on Trump for sharper sanctions against Russia

G7 summit: Merz calls on Trump for sharper sanctions against Russia

Wien, Österreich - On June 16, 2025, the geopolitical Situation moves in a field of tension that affects both the Ukraine conflict and the Middle East. The G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, is particularly focused on the situation in Ukraine. US President Donald Trump gives his discomfort about the outsourcing of Russia from the G8, describes it as a mistake, but leaves Russia open, which is not exactly clear. These comments ensure raised eyebrows after Russia was excluded from the group in 2014 in the Ukraine in the Ukraine, reports BR .

Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj, who has arrived in Vienna to seek support from the Austrian government, has clear expectations at the summit. He plans talks with Trump about the purchase of US weapons. He also talks about the possibility that Austria could act as an intermediary when returning children kidnapped to Ukraine. In his opinion, the G7 summit will have to generate an important pressure on Russia in order to request additional sanctions, especially in the energy sector. In this regard, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz Trump also calls on to participate in new EU initiatives for Russia.

diplomatic maneuvers and tensions

While Selenskyj and Merz set the course for a closed front against Russia, the situation in Iran does not remain outside. Merz called on the EU countries to arrange a joint declaration on the Israel-Iran conflict to prevent another conflict outbreak. He turned against Putin's broker role, which could increase the tensions in international space. tz emphasizes that merz the big geopolitical challenges at the table brings.

Furthermore, Selenskyj in Vienna not only conducted talks with Merz, but also with Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen. European support for Ukraine has meanwhile started driving to replace the United States in military aid, while they have to act more reserved in the normalization of relationships with Russia. Another point on the agenda: Selenskyj speaks about the return of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, which also has a symbolic meaning in the tense climate.

new sanctions on the agenda

The discussion about new sanctions against Russia is supplemented by the British Ministry of Defense, which reports on high losses of North Korean troops in the Ukraine conflict. This dimension shows how international the conflict is. Trump's foreign policy is still skepticism, since its plans often appear incoherent and previous expectations at the summit are rather steamed. zdf also informs about the plans of the EU, the price lid for Russian oil from 60 to $ 45 per barrel, to reduce Russia economically under pressure set.

At the end of the weekend, it could be shown whether Merz 'hopes for a strong sign of the G7 countries against Russia are fulfilled. However, the focus is not only on the Ukraine War, but also on the difficult challenges that international politics brings with it in the context of the conflicts in the Middle East. This summit may be one of the decisive meetings in recent history, which could have a lasting impact on global relationships.