G7 summit opens with Russian cash for Kyiv
Leaders from the G7 group agreed to give Ukraine $50B backed by frozen Russian assets


What happened
Leaders from the G7 group of wealthy democracies arrived in Southern Italy on Thursday for a three-day summit focused on artificial intelligence, migration, countering China's rise and aiding Ukraine's fight against an increasingly bellicose Russia. The leaders have reportedly agreed to send Ukraine $50 billion, paid using interest from $300 billion in frozen Russian assets.
Who said what
President Joe Biden and the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan have an ambitious to-do list, but "when you talk to U.S. and European officials," there's a distinct now-or-never undercurrent, the Atlantic Council's Josh Lipsky said to The Associated Press. "We don't know what the world will look like three months, six months, nine months from now."
Aside from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, all the leaders arrived "beleaguered, embattled or endangered," The New York Times said. Far-right parties, like Meloni's, humbled the leaders of France and Germany in European Parliament elections last weekend. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to be swept from power in July, and Biden is fighting a hard race to win a second term in November.
For many attendees, "this is probably a welcome diversion from a difficult domestic environment," said Peter Ricketts, a former U.K. national security adviser.
What next?
Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will sign a 10-year bilateral security agreement on Thursday. Pope Francis will become the first pope to address a G7 summit on Friday, discussing the promises and perils of AI.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human blood
Under the radar Drugging the bugs
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Norway's windfall: should it go to Ukraine?
Talking Point Oil-based wealth fund is intended 'for future generations of Norwegians', but Putin's war poses an existential threat
By The Week UK Published
-
How feasible is a Ukraine ceasefire?
Today's Big Question Kyiv has condemned Putin's 'manipulative' response to proposed agreement
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine agrees to ceasefire, ending US aid freeze
Speed Read Kyiv made peace with the Trump administration by agreeing to an immediate ceasefire in its war against Russian invaders
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump pauses Ukraine intelligence sharing
Speed Read The decision is intended to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into peace negotiations with Vladimir Putin
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Donald Trump's foreign policy: a gift to China?
Talking Point Trump's projection of raw, unfocused power is fuelling the sense that his America is to be feared, even by its allies
By The Week UK Published
-
Trump sides with Russia on Ukraine war anniversary
Speed Read The president's embrace of the Kremlin is a reversal of American policy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine: three years on, is peace more elusive than ever?
Today's Big Question Europe sides with Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Donald Trump appears to endorse Moscow
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Trump's Ukraine about-face puts GOP hawks in the hot seat
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The president's pro-Russia pivot has alienated allies, emboldened adversaries, and placed members of his party in an uncomfortable position
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published