Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven wealthy nations and European Union overcame tensions with the Trump administration to express joint support for Ukraine's sovereignty and a U.S. ceasefire proposal.
A G-7 communiqué on Friday from top diplomats, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reaffirmed their nations' "unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity and right to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty and independence."
It also "applauded Ukraine’s commitment to an immediate ceasefire" and peace in line with the U.N. Charter, and "called for Russia to reciprocate by agreeing to a ceasefire on equal terms and implementing it fully."
Russia's President Vladimir Putin said he agrees in principle with the U.S. proposal but "there are issues that we need to discuss, and I think that we need to discuss it with our American colleagues and partners.”
The show of support for Ukraine against its Russian invaders was an accomplishment for Canada's G-7 presidency, which hosted the talks in La Malbaie, Quebec for Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and United Kingdom. The E.U. is also represented at G-7 meetings.
A second communiqué on maritime security condemned China's recent military buildup and "illicit, provocative, coercive and dangerous actions" in Asia-Pacific waters, and emphasized the importance of free navigation, overflight and other lawful uses of the ocean.
"We share a growing concern at recent, unjustifiable efforts to restrict such freedom and to expand jurisdiction through use of force and other forms of coercion, including across the Taiwan Strait, and the South China Sea, the Red Sea, and the Black Sea," they said.
Canada's sovereignty 'not up for debate'
The talks opened just as U.S. President Donald Trump slapped 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, prompting Canada and the E.U. to announce $20 billion and $28 billion, respectively, in retaliatory measures.
Since taking office in January, Trump has expressed repeated interest in acquiring Canada, Gaza, Greenland and the Panama Canal. As the first American leader in over a century to call for new U.S. territory, Trump's role model for tariffs and imperialism is the 19th century U.S. president William McKinley, who served from 1897 until his assassination in 1901.
Trump's "disrespectful 51st state rhetoric" was not on the G-7 agenda, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said before the talks, because the focus was on "peace and stability," starting with Russia's war in Ukraine.
"We've got your back, @melaniejoly," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on social media in support of Canada's sovereignty.
At a closing news conference, Joly said she made clear to Rubio that "Canada's sovereignty is not up to debate, period," and her country will fight any attempt at annexation by first weakening Canada economically.
"There's no argument, there's no conversation about it, there's no need to talk about it," she said. "You're here, you respect us, you respect our sovereignty, you're in our country, you respect our people. Period."
Trump again raised the topic at an Oval Office meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte, saying "Canada only works as a state" that is part of the United States. Rubio told reporters that "for economic purposes," Trump believes Canada would be better off joining the United States.
"There's a disagreement between the president's position and the position of the Canadian government," Rubio said. "I don't think that's a mystery coming in, and it wasn't a topic of conversation, because that's not what this summit was about."
