Trump joins Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron as G7 leaders gather for high-stakes summit in France

President Donald Trump arrived in France to meet with top global leaders at the annual G7 summit. Held in Évian-les-Bains, France, from June 15 to 17, this is the president’s fifth time attending the conference in person and comes amid heightened global turmoil, with the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine expected to dominate the summit’s economic and geopolitical agenda.

President Trump shares a warm greeting with French President Emmanuel Macron as the two leaders meet at the summit. Their interaction comes as France hosts this year's G7 meeting and plays a central role in coordinating discussions on Ukraine, Iran, and broader international security issues. On the final day of the summit on Wednesday, Trump is expected to travel to Paris to have dinner with Macron at the Palace of Versailles before returning to Washington.

Trump also sparked a viral moment during his greeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron. After a brief, firm handshake with Macron, the president turned to Brigitte Macron and engaged in one of his trademark extended handshakes. Trump appeared to hold her hand for nearly 15 seconds before finally letting go. For a moment, Brigitte Macron seemed uncertain whether the exchange had ended, hesitating before withdrawing her hand and resting it on her handbag.

Trump sat down with Macron for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit, where the two leaders discussed key issues, including the conflict between Israel and Iran. Bilateral meetings like this often shape the broader conversations that unfold during the summit. 'I would like France to be able to deploy one or two ships to ensure the safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz,' Donald Trump said during the meeting. The French president replied, 'We are ready to have fighter jets on site as early as tomorrow, which can assist with reconnaissance missions. Within 48 hours, frigates can obviously be deployed, followed by the aircraft carrier.'

Trump also sat alongside fellow G7 leaders during the traditional leaders' gathering, one of the summit's signature photo opportunities. US President Donald Trump was the first leader to arrive and was received by Macron and Brigitte Macron. He was followed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and First Lady Victoria Starmer, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa.

Trump faced reporters during the summit, answering questions about ongoing US-Iran negotiations, developments in the Middle East, and discussions with fellow leaders. Throughout the gathering, his media appearances were among the most closely followed moments. Shortly after his arrival, Trump boasted about the preliminary ceasefire deal with Iran announced on Sunday and said the US was finally turning the page in its relationship with its longtime adversary. 'I think a lot of great things are going to happen in the Middle East right now, and very importantly, the oil price is plummeting down and the stock market is shooting up like a rocket today,' Trump said. 'The Iran deal that we made is going to bring a lot of success to the world.'