LEADERS of the Group of Seven Western nations pledged at the end of their summit in the French town of Evian-les-Bains to provide more air defence systems to Ukraine and to increase pressure on the Russian economy.

In a statement released today, the leaders said they stood “united in our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

“To support and accelerate this new momentum, we agree to increase the delivery of air defence capacities, additional systems and interceptors, and long-range capabilities.”

The bloc, which includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the European Union, said it was “ready to consider extending to Ukraine the benefit of licenses to allow for an increase in Ukraine’s military production.”

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who joined the summit on Tuesday, has been pressing allies for more than a year to allow Ukraine to produce its own interceptors because of a shortage of US anti-ballistic systems and interceptors.

The G7 said that following the deal between the US and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions could be strengthened on Russian oil and gas.

The statement said the bloc would strengthen sanctions against Russia “including those on the oil and gas sectors,” as President Trump has “delivered a deal that we support in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.”

President Trump told reporters on Tuesday that “Russia should make a deal.”

He took the opportunity to again claim: “I settled eight wars. This was the one I thought was going to be the easiest to settle.”

President Trump’s claim to have ended eight wars has been widely disputed.

President Zelensky took to social media to say: “More air defence missiles along with licenses to produce them, winter support package, and cranking up pressure on Russia.

“Importantly, the US is ready to provide backstop across these lines of effort.”