G7 Foreign Ministers Discuss Support for Ukraine as Canada Unveils New Sanctions on Russia

(Patria) - G7 foreign ministers held talks focused on bolstering Ukraine's war efforts, as host Canada unveiled new sanctions targeting Russian drones and energy production, AFP reported.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who was invited to the G7 talks near the famed Niagara Falls, said the meeting must focus in part on strengthening Kyiv’s “long-term capabilities.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin “still has the illusion that he can win,” Sybiha said alongside his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand.
“In reality, he has lost over a million soldiers and has not achieved any of his strategic goals,” he said, adding: “We must make the price of continuing this war unbearable and dangerous for Putin personally and his regime.”

Ahead of the G7 meeting on Ukraine, Anand announced new sanctions against entities that Canada claims are used to launch cyberattacks against Ukraine.
Ships that are part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, vessels allegedly used to transport Russian oil despite global sanctions, were also targeted.

“Canada will continue to ensure that Russia’s actions do not go unpunished,” Anand told reporters.

She said first on the list were sanctions on “IT infrastructure used in Russia’s hybrid strategies against Ukraine.”

Companies involved in Russia’s liquefied natural gas industry were also on the sanctions list.

When negotiations opened on Tuesday, the United Kingdom announced £13 million ($17.1 million) in funding to help repair Ukraine’s energy sector, which has suffered massive Russian attacks in recent days.

The UK also announced a ban on maritime services for Russian liquefied natural gas.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin “is trying to push Ukraine into darkness and cold as winter approaches.”

Instability in the Caribbean

On Tuesday evening, foreign ministers from the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States held a working dinner focused on global security.

Before they met, French President Jean-Noel Barrot issued a stark warning about the potential consequences of a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, which the administration of President Donald Trump claims is aimed at curbing the global illegal drug trade.

“We have watched with concern the military operations in the Caribbean region because they do not respect international law,” Barrot told reporters, hours after a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group entered the area controlled by the U.S. Southern Command, which encompasses Latin America and the Caribbean.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused the Trump administration of “inventing a war” while simultaneously carrying out a regime change plan.
Barrot said it was imperative that the G7 club of industrialized democracies “work together” to confront the global drug trade.
“Instability caused by potential escalations” could affect the more than one million French citizens living in the Caribbean, he said.

US-Canada Friction

In addition to the G7 group, representatives from India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and India were also present at the Niagara talks.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a series of brief bilateral talks with various countries, including a planned meeting with Anand.

Trump’s trade war has strained bilateral relations, with tariffs on key Canadian industries like automotive, steel, and aluminum causing job losses and slowing growth.

However, Anand said she did not intend to directly press trade tensions with Rubio.

“We will have a meeting and we will have many topics to discuss about global affairs,” Anand told AFP.

“The trade issue is being handled by other ministers.”