G7 Divided: Canada Confronts Russia as New U.S. Stance Sparks Tension

On Thursday, Canada urged the Group of Seven nations to support Ukraine against Russia’s “aggression,” as U.S. President Donald Trump’s more amicable stance towards Moscow caused divisions within the alliance of industrialized democracies.

As the current G7 president, Canada is hosting foreign ministers for an extensive three-day discussion at a cozy lodge located in the frost-covered area of Charlevoux, situated along the shores of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec.

Initially seen as a cohesive group, the G7 — comprising Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States — has faced disruptions following Donald Trump’s resurgence. He extended an olive branch to Russia and imposed harsh trade tariffs on both close allies and rivals.

Prior to the comprehensive discussions, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly had a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the most senior U.S. official to visit since President Donald Trump took office. Trump has teased his country’s northern ally by referring to Canada as the “51st state.”

In a meeting room where Canada displayed its maple-leaf flag alongside the U.S. Stars and Stripes, Joly and Rubio greeted each other with French-style kisses on the cheek followed by handshakes. Neither of them addressed any queries nor made public comments afterward.

Joly, at the start of the official G7 meeting, expressed her hope to discover methods for continuing to back Ukraine amidst Russia's unlawful invasion.

"All of us hope for fair and enduring peace in Ukraine," she stated.

Rubio has urged the G7 to refrain from using "antagonistic" rhetoric towards Russia, arguing that such language could undermine U.S. diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.

Since President Joe Biden handed over power to Trump, U.S. officials have shifted their terminology from describing Russia's "invasion" or "aggression" towards its neighboring country starting in 2022 to characterizing it as the "Russia-Ukraine conflict."

Under significant pressure from Trump, who temporarily halted assistance, Ukraine consented during discussions with Rubio on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia to accept a U.S.-proposed 30-day truce with Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday voiced general support for a ceasefire but suggested he wanted to speak to Trump about it.

- An agreement forming around the statement -

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock cautioned that "true peace in Europe can only be achieved through strength."

“What’s the use of a truce that could result in further suffering, devastation, and conflict in Europe after two or four years?” she stated during her time at the margins of the G7 discussions.

Diplomats indicated that the G7 statement might gloss over wider disagreements regarding Ukraine by emphasizing support for the ceasefire proposal.

If the G7 fails to produce a joint statement, "it only advantages countries such as China and Russia and conveys a message to the Global South," stated Japanese foreign ministry spokesperson Toshihiro Kitamura.

An anonymous diplomatic source from another nation anticipated a joint statement emerging, noting that achieving this despite the significant disagreements was quite an accomplishment.

"Everybody is maintaining their stances, though not with an intent to assault others," he stated.

As Rubio met in Quebec, Trump intensified his stance by stating that Canada functions merely as a territory under the jurisdiction of the United States.

"This would be the most incredible country visually. If you look at a map, they drew an artificial line right through it between Canada and the US," Trump told reporters in Washington.

Baerbock sported a white suit and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas a red dress -- leading the two to say that they chose their colors to show solidarity with Canada.

- Trade war -

The G7 conference occurred simultaneously as President Trump implemented comprehensive 25 percent duties on all imported steel and aluminum, which went into effect Wednesday. This move prompted the European Union and Canada to announce retaliatory measures in the form of substantial counter-tariffs.

The Japanese Foreign Minister, Takeshi Iwaya, expressed his concern over the steel and aluminum tariffs during a discussion with Rubio, cautioning that these measures could negatively impact American economic interests.

Kallas stated that China — which Trump had pinpointed as the primary rival to the United States — benefited from the trade conflict that Washington was initiating with its own partners.

"Laughing at the side is China. It's definitely benefiting from this. So there are no winners. Eventually, the consumers end up paying more," she told CNN from the talks.

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