G7 summit opens with deal to use Russian assets for Ukraine as EU’s traditional powers recalibrate
By NICOLE WINFIELD, PAOLO SANTALUCIA and COLLEEN LONG
Associated Press
BORGO EGNAZIA, Italy (AP) — A summit of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations has opened in Italy. Premier Giorgia Meloni has welcomed the G7 leaders and formally begun their closed-door talks on Thursday. Meloni in her opening remarks likened the bloc to the Puglia region’s famed olive trees, with strong roots and branches pointing toward the future. Negotiators reached agreement hours before the official opening of the summit on a U.S. proposal to back a $50 billion loan to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets as collateral.