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EVIAIN-LES-PAIN, France, June 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said Russia should make a peace deal with Ukraine and that he would try to contribute to that after a meeting of G7 leaders with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday, but there were few details on any concrete steps to increase pressure on Moscow.

Trump made his remarks from the French resort of Evian-les-Bains overlooking a lake where the summit is being held.

Trump described the meeting with Zelensky as "very good," after renewed focus on the conflict in Ukraine following the US and Iran reaching an agreement to end the war in the Middle East.

Zelensky and European leaders are trying to convince Trump that Ukraine's chances have improved under his pressure for more support to give it the upper hand in eventual peace talks.

Trump is scheduled to hold direct talks with Zelensky later today. The Ukrainian presidency earlier shared photos of Zelensky during a conversation with Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the summit.

Trump told reporters, "I will do what I can," adding that many young men are dying on the battlefield on both sides.

He continued, "Russia should make a deal."

Positive talks regarding Ukraine

Two European diplomats said that Zelensky showed Trump, during the meeting, pictures of the aftermath of a Russian airstrike on Monday on the Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kyiv.

One European diplomat said Trump expressed his displeasure with the raid, while another said showing the photos was a good move "psychologically" by Zelensky.

Zelensky told Reuters in an interview that his main focus was on strengthening Ukraine's air defenses, but he also indicated that discussions were taking place about imposing additional sanctions to force Moscow to the negotiating table.

European diplomats stated that the atmosphere of the meeting was constructive.

One European diplomat said, "It seems we have now reached a common analysis that Russia is currently on the defensive."

But two diplomats reported that Trump showed no commitment to imposing further US sanctions on Moscow, as European leaders wanted.

Trump told reporters that Washington was now in a position to end the waivers granted to Russian oil after the interim agreement to end the trade war with Iran calmed markets, but he did not address the issue of taking broader punitive measures.

“The winds are blowing in Ukraine’s favor. Russia’s exhaustion is clearly visible. It’s time to redouble our support,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on the X platform.

A French diplomat said that the G7 leaders agreed that the battlefield dynamics were now in Ukraine's favor, and committed to providing Kyiv with more air defense capabilities.

Navigation problem in the Strait of Hormuz

European leaders will warn Trump that an interim agreement with Iran could entrench Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and they also hope to learn more details about the memorandum of understanding.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the priority is to ensure a "final, solid and serious agreement".

He said today's lunch meeting will focus on the safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz , which Iran largely closed after the US and Israeli attacks in late February . The leaders are also seeking alternative energy routes that bypass the waterway . Trump said the strait would be "fully open" on Friday.

The interim agreement would allow a 60-day period for complex technical negotiations, including the fate of Iran's highly enriched uranium and the lifting of sanctions.

However, European allies fear that the inexperienced US negotiating team will fail to reach a strong nuclear agreement or to deal with Iran’s ballistic missile program in the next phase, which threatens to prolong the confrontation.

Trump said the agreement states "very clearly" that Iran will not build a nuclear weapon, something Iran has always denied seeking.