G7 leaders meet in Canada after Trump’s tariffs, Ukraine stance

Diplomats from the G7 nations were set to negotiate late into the night over a joint statement to show a united front in Canada on Thursday after weeks of tension between U.S. allies and President Donald Trump over his upending of Western trade and security policy. The Group of Seven ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, along with the European Union, convened in the remote tourist town of La Malbaie, nestled in the Quebec hills, for meetings on Thursday and Friday that in the past have been broadly consensual. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed his colleagues on talks on Tuesday with Ukraine in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Kyiv said it was ready to support a 30-day ceasefire deal. But officials said ambiguous comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin left delegates unclear where things stood. Canadian Foreign Minister  Melanie Joly is hosting the G7 Foreign Misters meeting in Quebec. In her opening remark Joly quotes a Quebec saying. "We have a lot to do.... and there is a lot of bread on our plates." She also mentioned Ukraine, Congo and Middle East issues could be discussed in the meeting.

Key topics for discussion at the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting.
Ukraine Sovereignty
Foreign interference
Congo
Middle East
Venezuela
Haiti
Sudan
South Pacific pic.twitter.com/EIuMXXSZVO

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In the run-up to the first G7 meeting of Canada’s presidency, the crafting of an agreed all-encompassing final statement had been tough, but diplomats said the atmosphere since had been positive and candid.There was hope for an accord, something they said was vital to show unity. A draft communique seen by Reuters made no mention of possible new sanctions on Russia.However, it emphasised the need for robust and credible security guarantees so that a ceasefire would be respected and that Ukraine would be able to deter and defend itself against future aggression.