Canada rallies against Russian ‘aggression’ as new US tone splits G-7

CHARLEVOIX, Canada – Canada called on the Group of Seven (G-7) powers on March 13 to back Ukraine against Russia’s “aggression” as US President Donald Trump’s more conciliatory approach towards Moscow split the club of wealthy democracies.

Canada, the current G-7 president, is gathering foreign ministers for three days of talks inside a rustic hotel in snow-dusted Charlevoix, on the banks of the St Lawrence River in Quebec.

Once broadly unified, the G-7 – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US – has been rattled since the return of Mr Trump, who has reached out to Russia and

slapped punishing trade tariffs

on close allies and competitors.

Before the full talks, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly sat down with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the highest-level US official to visit since the inauguration of Mr Trump who has

taunted the US’ northern neighbour

as the “51st state”.

Canada put its maple-leaf flag next to the US Stars and Stripes in a meeting room where Ms Joly and Mr Rubio exchanged French-style pecks on the cheek and shook hands. They did not respond to questions and issued no statements.

Ms Joly, opening the formal session of the G-7, said she hopes to find ways to “continue to support Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal aggression”.

“We all want to see just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” she added.

Mr Rubio has called for the G-7 to avoid “antagonistic” language towards Russia, saying it would hinder US diplomacy that could end the war that has killed tens of thousands of people.

Since Mr Trump took over from Mr Joe Biden, US statements have switched from referring to Russia’s “invasion” or “aggression” against its neighbour since 2022 to speaking of the “Russia-Ukraine conflict.”

Ukraine, under heavy pressure from Mr Trump who

briefly cut off aid

, agreed with Mr Rubio in talks on March 11 in Saudi Arabia to a US proposal for a

30-day ceasefire with Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 13 voiced general support for a ceasefire but suggested he wanted to speak to Mr Trump about it.

Compromise emerging on statement

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned that “peace in Europe will only come through strength”.

“What good is a ceasefire that would then lead to even more suffering, destruction and war in Europe after two or four years?” she said on the sidelines of the G-7 talks.

Diplomats said the G-7 statement may paper over broader differences on Ukraine by focusing on backing the ceasefire plan.

If the G-7 cannot put together a common statement, “it only benefits countries like China and Russia and sends a message to the Global South,” Japanese foreign ministry spokesman Toshihiro Kitamura said.

A diplomat from another country, speaking on condition of anonymity, expected a statement to come together and said it was no small feat considering the level of disagreement.

“Everyone is sticking to their positions, although not in a way that seeks to attack others,” he noted.

Just as Mr Rubio was meeting in Quebec, Mr Trump doubled down in his rhetoric by saying that Canada “only works as a state” of the US.

“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,” he told reporters in Washington.

Ms Baerbock sported a white suit and European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas a red dress – leading the two to say that they chose their colours to show solidarity with Canada.

Trade war

The G-7 meeting came just as Mr Trump’s sweeping 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports came into effect on March 12, leading the EU and Canada to unveil billions of dollars in counter-tariffs.

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said he raised concerns about these tariffs in a meeting with Mr Rubio, warning that Americans would be economically hurt.

Ms Kallas said China – identified by Mr Trump as the top competitor to the US – gains from the trade war Washington is waging on its allies.

“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. AFP