Ukrainian President Volontimir Zelenski said today that the leaders of the "Group of Seven" (G7) agreed at the summit in France that Russia does not win the war in Ukraine and that they discussed imposing additional sanctions to force Moscow to sit at the negotiating table.
Speaking via a video link in an interview he gave to the summit at the Reuters NEXT Europe Summit in London, Zelenski said leaders of G7's top industrial countries discussed imposing additional sanctions on Russia's energy exports, its banking system and its military production.
Zelenski said G& leaders also discussed the situation on the battlefield as well as possible peace negotiations with Moscow, and the impact of the war on Russia's economy.
Ukraine's Zelenskiy says G7 leaders discovered further sanctions on Russia https://t.co/02De2F74uW— The Straits Times (@straits times) June 16, 2026
"We unanimously agreed that Russia does not win and that it loses many people, that it must reach an agreement as soon as possible and that it does not have the initiative in its hands," Zelenski said, in a conversation with Reuters editor-in-chief Alessandra Galoni.
Zelenski said Ukraine would continue attacks with long-range drones and missiles on energy and military infrastructure, as well as that more political pressure needs to be exerted to move Putin into a peace agreement.
"I believe that President (Donald) Trump can do so, perhaps only he," he said referring to the US leader, who was among the participants at the summit in France.
Pressure on the Kremlin leader
Zelenski said many people from Putin's environment put pressure on the Kremlin leader to move on to a wider mobilization of Russian troops, regardless of the casualties on the battlefield. However, he added that the large majority of ordinary Russians have realized that their country does not win the war.
Russia will face a very difficult winter amid the escalation of Ukrainian attacks against its energy infrastructure if a peace agreement is not reached by then, he said.
Zelenski admitted that he also wishes Ukraine not to suffer another harsh winter, after Russian attacks destroyed its own electrical infrastructure last year.
One day after the attack of Russian drones on one of Ukraine's most historical monasteries in Kiev, Zelenski said there was unanimous consensus within the G7 that Russia is deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure, adding that this marked a change in perceptions.
"Now everyone recognizes that Russia, that Putin, does not want to stop this war. “
Zelenski said Trump responded very positively to his request to increase anti-aircraft defence missile supplies to Ukraine.