RUSSIA PERSPECTIVE

Moscow, June 15, 2026. As the G7 opens in France, Russian media outlets focus on a single narrative thread: Donald Trump's unilateralism, which shapes the summit agenda long before world leaders convene around the table.

First observation: Zelensky does not appear on Trump's list of official bilateral meetings. According to Bloomberg, as cited by RT, the US president has scheduled formal encounters with the leaders of France, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and India, but none with the Ukrainian head of state. Zelensky will participate only in a plenary working session with G7 countries. Russian outlets note that since January 2025, direct contacts between the two men have never yielded concrete agreements on security guarantees or Ukraine's reconstruction.

Moscow Times, whose editorial line diverges from Russian state media, reports that Zelensky did receive a phone call from Trump on June 14, marking the US president's 80th birthday. Zelensky indicated he discussed "ideas that could contribute to peace." Subsequently, the Kremlin announced a similar phone conversation between Vladimir Putin and Trump. Sputnik, citing presidential advisor Yuri Ushakov, describes the exchange as "friendly, candid, and even marked by humor." According to Ushakov, the call lasted 55 minutes and covered Ukraine, Iran, and bilateral relations. Trump reportedly reaffirmed "the necessity to end combat" and his willingness to pressure Europeans and Kyiv to reach a settlement.

On Iran, TASS reports that the UK, France, Germany, and Italy welcomed the US-Iran accord and declared readiness to lift certain sanctions in exchange for "clear and verifiable measures" on Tehran's nuclear program. Formal signature is scheduled for Friday in Geneva, with Pakistan serving as mediator. RT signals that Trump himself announced the agreement as "now concluded" on Truth Social, while simultaneously authorizing the "toll-free reopening" of the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US naval blockade.

TASS also cites Trump's statements to the New York Times, in which he contemplates, should negotiations fail, either resuming military strikes against Tehran or positioning himself as the "guardian of the Middle East" in exchange for 20 percent of the region's revenues. For Moscow's press, this formula exemplifies the transactional logic underlying Washington's foreign relations.

Finally, RIA Novosti covers Trump's tariff threat against Paris: 100 percent duties on all French wines and champagne if France maintains its 3 percent digital tax on American technology firms. "All he has to do is cancel the sales tax, and he will no longer face this pressure," Trump told the New York Post, according to the Russian agency. For Moscow, this episode illustrates that transatlantic friction extends beyond security alone — it now encompasses trade and digital commerce, weakening the very cohesion of the G7.