Trump Snubs Zelenskyy at G7 as Ukraine Drone Strikes Hit Russian Energy Targets and Zaporizhzhia Plant Reconnected

Washington DC / Kyiv / Evian, France – Donald Trump will not hold a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at this week's G7 summit in France, a senior administration official said, as Russian military gains in Ukraine have "more or less stopped" and Ukrainian drone strikes continue to hit energy infrastructure deep inside Russia.

The G7 summit will take place in Evian in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region from 15-17 June. Trump is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings on its sidelines with French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as the leaders of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and India, the official said. Notably absent from that list is Ukraine's wartime leader.

Trump will take part in a G7 working session with Zelenskyy, meaning the two leaders will be in the same room, but the US president has opted against a one-on-one meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart – a decision likely to raise questions in Kyiv and among European allies about Washington's commitment to Ukraine's war effort.

Trump's G7 Snub: What It Means for Ukraine

The decision to exclude Zelenskyy from bilateral meetings comes as Trump has repeatedly signaled his desire to end the war quickly, though his administration has not articulated a clear peace plan. One of the senior US officials who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity about Trump's trip said Russian gains have "more or less stopped" on the battlefield.

"We want the war to end as quickly as possible," the official added, echoing Trump's long-standing position that the conflict is draining American resources and attention from other global priorities.

Zelenskyy has sought to maintain close ties with the US regardless of who occupies the White House, understanding that American military and financial support remains essential to Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression. The absence of a bilateral meeting with Trump will be seen in Kyiv as a diplomatic setback.

European leaders, who have consistently backed Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, are expected to use the G7 summit to reaffirm their support for Zelenskyy and push for continued US engagement.

Ukrainian Drone Strikes Deep Inside Russia

While diplomatic maneuvering occupies world leaders in France, the war on the ground continues unabated. A Ukrainian drone attack killed one person and injured three in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, local officials said Saturday, as part of Kyiv's sustained campaign of strikes on Russian military and energy targets.

The governor of Krasnodar, Veniamin Kondratyev, said drone debris sparked a fire at a sea terminal. Emergency services were dispatched to contain the blaze, though authorities did not immediately disclose the extent of the damage.

Ukraine's general staff did not comment on the Krasnodar strike specifically but said that its forces had hit an oil preparation and pumping station overnight in Russia's Volgograd region, as well as Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine's Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. The strikes demonstrate Ukraine's growing ability to reach targets deep within Russian territory using domestically produced long-range drones.

The attacks come after President Zelenskyy said his forces had struck several infrastructure sites deep inside Russia, including a military factory that he said supplied components for Russian drones and missiles. Zelenskyy has made clear that hitting Russian military-industrial targets is a priority for Ukraine, as degrading Russia's production capacity is essential to limiting Moscow's ability to sustain the war.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant: A Narrow Escape

Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, has been reconnected to the grid after repairs carried out under an IAEA-brokered localized ceasefire, the International Atomic Energy Agency announced. The outage marked the 19th time the plant has lost off-site power since the start of the war.

The latest disconnection occurred after an attack on an electrical substation across the Dnipro River disconnected the Ferosplavna back-up power line late on Wednesday. Lasting almost three days, it was one of the site's longest power loss events, forcing the facility to rely on emergency diesel generators for the electricity it needs to cool its six shutdown reactors.

Nuclear safety experts have long warned that a prolonged power outage at Zaporizhzhia could lead to a catastrophic meltdown. The plant's reactors are in shutdown mode, but they still require constant cooling to prevent nuclear fuel from overheating. Diesel generators provide backup power, but they are not designed for indefinite operation and are vulnerable to fuel shortages, mechanical failure, or direct attack.

The IAEA-brokered ceasefire that allowed repair crews to access the damaged infrastructure represents a rare moment of cooperation between Russian and Ukrainian forces, who otherwise remain locked in fierce combat along a 1,000-kilometer front line.

The State of the Battlefield

According to the senior US official who briefed reporters, Russian gains on the battlefield have "more or less stopped" in recent weeks. The assessment suggests that Ukraine's defensive lines have stabilized after months of intense Russian pressure, particularly in the Donetsk region.

Russian forces have suffered enormous casualties in their attempts to advance, with Western intelligence agencies estimating that Moscow has lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers killed or wounded since the invasion began. Despite these losses, Russia continues to replenish its front-line units through a combination of mobilization, recruitment of contract soldiers, and the deployment of prisoners offered pardons in exchange for military service.

Ukraine, meanwhile, continues to face its own manpower challenges. The country has lowered its mobilization age and expanded draft eligibility in an effort to rotate exhausted troops and fill depleted units. However, Ukrainian officials say that Western allies have been slow to deliver promised military aid, leaving front-line units short of ammunition and equipment.

What to Watch at the G7

Beyond the bilateral meeting schedule, several Ukraine-related issues are expected to dominate G7 discussions:

• Military aid: European allies are expected to announce new packages of ammunition, air defense systems, and artillery
• Russian assets: Discussions continue on using frozen Russian central bank assets to finance Ukraine's reconstruction
• Security guarantees: Ukraine is seeking binding security commitments from Western powers ahead of any ceasefire or peace deal
• Membership path: Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO remain a contentious issue among alliance members

Zelenskyy will have the opportunity to address G7 leaders directly during the working session, where he is expected to make the case for continued support and press for accelerated delivery of weapons systems, including F-16 fighter jets and long-range missiles.

Whether Trump's decision to skip a bilateral meeting reflects a shift in US policy or simply a crowded schedule remains to be seen. For now, Ukraine's allies in Europe will need to fill any leadership vacuum left by Washington.