La Malbaie, Canada: Foreign ministers from the world’s leading Western democracies are gathering in Canada for the first G7 meeting of the year.
The meeting intends to inspect deepening tensions with Washington over Ukraine, tariffs, and global security. The talks held in the remote tourist town of La Malbaie, Quebec, come after weeks of friction between US allies and President Donald Trump’s administration.
A key focus will be a debriefing on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent talks in Jeddah, where Ukraine signaled its readiness for a 30-day ceasefire deal.
However, crafting a unified G7 statement has proven difficult. Washington has pushed back against European calls for a firm stance on Russia’s ‘shadow fleet,’ while demanding tougher language on China. Rubio defended the US position, insisting that a balanced statement should reflect progress made toward ending the war.
As #G7 President, Canada is welcoming #G7ForeignMinisters to Charlevoix, Quebec, to address global challenges and strengthen international security. They will meet to discuss:
➡️ Support to Ukraine
➡️ Peace in the Middle East
➡️ Indo-Pacific stability
➡️ Resilience in the… pic.twitter.com/u48xN88cTu— G7 (@G7) March 10, 2025
Economic tensions are also running high, with the US imposing 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, prompting swift retaliatory measures from Canada and the EU. Even Japan, a longstanding US ally, has faced pressure under Trump’s aggressive trade policies.
In Canada, relations with Washington have hit an all-time low. Trump’s repeated threats of sweeping tariffs- along with his offhand remarks about annexing Canada as the US’s ‘51st state’ have fueled tensions. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly vowed to challenge the US on tariffs, saying she would push for a coordinated G7 response.
European diplomats are also keen to gauge Rubio’s influence over Trump’s foreign policy, as the president increasingly relies on a mix of officials outside the State Department for key negotiations.
