President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Washington will refocus its diplomatic efforts on ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict now that the Iran war has reached a preliminary settlement, signaling a potential shift in momentum for peace talks that have remained stalled for months.

Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron at the Group of Seven summit in the French spa town, Trump told reporters the United States would turn its attention back to resolving Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. The announcement came after Trump held separate telephone conversations Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, describing both leaders as "very open" to a settlement.

"Now that this is finished, we are gonna be focusing on that and see if we can get that one done," Trump said, referring to an expected memorandum of understanding with Tehran. "Twenty-five thousand people a month are dying, mostly soldiers. That shouldn't happen."

Europe's unease over potential sidelining

Behind closed doors at the summit, European officials voiced concern that Trump may attempt to retake control of peace negotiations and leave European allies on the sidelines. An EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that Europe had benefited from Trump's distraction with the Middle East crisis.

"Having Trump be distracted was not necessarily a bad thing," the diplomat said.

Emmanuel Macron pushed back against potential exclusion, insisting that any credible settlement must include European participation. "The right kind of negotiation is one with Ukraine and Russia sitting around the table, and the Europeans and Americans by their side," the French president told French television network TF1.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that the bloc's €90 billion in support covers two-thirds of Kyiv's financial needs for 2026 and 2027, arguing that continued unity among G7 nations remains essential. The commission recently approved opening formal EU membership negotiations with both Ukraine and Moldova.

Status of peace talks after months-long pause

Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have been frozen since March, when Washington redirected its attention to military operations in Iran. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the peace process as being in a "situational pause," pending renewed U.S. engagement.

Before the pause, Washington, Moscow and Kyiv had conducted three rounds of negotiations following years of diplomatic freeze under the Biden administration. Those talks produced tangible results including major prisoner exchanges, repatriation of fallen soldiers and exchanges of peace memorandums. However, key disagreements persisted, particularly over Moscow's demand for Ukrainian forces to withdraw from the Donbass region.