Top diplomats from the Group of Seven industrialised democracies presented a united front on Ukraine and Sudan on Wednesday, even as they skirted around the more contentious issues overshadowing the gathering.
Issued on: 13/11/2025 - RFI
Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand (centre) chairs a G7+ session on security during the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the White Oaks Resort in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, on 12 November 2025. © Mandel Ngan / POOL / AFP
Meeting in the Canadian town of Niagara-on-the-Lake – just a short hop from the US border – G7 foreign ministers held talks with their Ukrainian counterpart as Kyiv braces for what could be its most challenging winter yet.
Rolling blackouts triggered by Russian aerial attacks have underscored the fragility of Ukraine’s energy grid, and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha made no attempt to play down the scale of the challenge.
Ukraine, he said, needed the full support of its partners to withstand a “very difficult, very tough winter”. The priority now was to “move forward to pressure Russia, to raise the price for the aggression… for [President Vladimir] Putin, to end this war”.
Zelensky pushes EU to unlock €140bn in frozen Russian assets
Fresh pressure on Russia
Following two days of discussions, the G7 ministers issued a joint statement pledging to tighten economic pressure on Moscow and examine new measures targeting those who bankroll Russia’s war machine.
Canada, for its part, rolled out fresh sanctions aimed at individuals involved in the development and deployment of drones, while Britain earlier in the week committed additional funding to shore up Ukraine’s battered energy infrastructure.
Although the United States offered no new initiatives at the summit, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a social-media post that ministers had explored ways “to strengthen Ukraine’s defence and find an end to this bloody conflict”.
Canada’s Foreign Minister, Anita Anand, struck a similarly determined note: “We are doing whatever is necessary to support Ukraine,” she said.
France sounds alarm on Caribbean unrest as G7 leaders meet in Canada
Trade tensions with US
The gathering took place against an awkward political backdrop. US President Donald Trump recently pulled the plug on trade talks with Canada after Ontario’s provincial government ran an anti-tariff advert in the United States – a move that reportedly infuriated him.
It capped a fractious spring during which Trump openly mused that Canada should simply become the 51st US state.
Anand, however, sidestepped questions about the dispute, insisting she was in Niagara-on-the-Lake solely to focus on G7 business. She added that she had not raised trade matters during her meeting with Rubio, noting that responsibility for the file lies with another minister.
One sensitive topic that barely featured – at least publicly – was the Trump administration’s expanding military campaign against alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
Washington says it has carried out 19 strikes since early September, killing at least 75 people. Members of Congress have been pressing for clarity on who is being targeted and on what legal basis.
Yet Rubio insisted the issue simply did not arise in his discussions with fellow ministers. “It didn’t come up once,” he said, brushing aside reports that Britain had halted intelligence sharing.
“Nothing has changed or happened that has impeded in any way our ability to do what we’re doing,” he added. “Nor are we asking anyone to help us with what we’re doing – in any realm. And that includes military.”
Sudan’s civilians flee mounting atrocities as Darfur’s war deepens
Condemnation of Sudan violence
Where the ministers did speak out forcefully was on Sudan, where violence between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces is spiralling.
In their statement, G7 countries condemned the escalation in fighting, while Rubio described the humanitarian situation as dire and urged efforts to halt the flow of weapons to the RSF.
Pressed on the widely reported role of the United Arab Emirates – allegations the UAE has repeatedly denied – Rubio was circumspect but pointed.
The United States, he said, knew exactly who was supplying the RSF. “At the highest levels of our government, that case is being made and that pressure is being applied to the relevant parties,” he said. “This needs to stop.”
Alongside the G7 members – Canada, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan – Anand expanded the table by inviting ministers from Australia, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa and Ukraine.
Meeting in the Canadian town of Niagara-on-the-Lake – just a short hop from the US border – G7 foreign ministers held talks with their Ukrainian counterpart as Kyiv braces for what could be its most challenging winter yet.
Rolling blackouts triggered by Russian aerial attacks have underscored the fragility of Ukraine’s energy grid, and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha made no attempt to play down the scale of the challenge.
Ukraine, he said, needed the full support of its partners to withstand a “very difficult, very tough winter”. The priority now was to “move forward to pressure Russia, to raise the price for the aggression… for [President Vladimir] Putin, to end this war”.
Zelensky pushes EU to unlock €140bn in frozen Russian assets
Fresh pressure on Russia
Following two days of discussions, the G7 ministers issued a joint statement pledging to tighten economic pressure on Moscow and examine new measures targeting those who bankroll Russia’s war machine.
Canada, for its part, rolled out fresh sanctions aimed at individuals involved in the development and deployment of drones, while Britain earlier in the week committed additional funding to shore up Ukraine’s battered energy infrastructure.
Although the United States offered no new initiatives at the summit, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a social-media post that ministers had explored ways “to strengthen Ukraine’s defence and find an end to this bloody conflict”.
Canada’s Foreign Minister, Anita Anand, struck a similarly determined note: “We are doing whatever is necessary to support Ukraine,” she said.
France sounds alarm on Caribbean unrest as G7 leaders meet in Canada
Trade tensions with US
The gathering took place against an awkward political backdrop. US President Donald Trump recently pulled the plug on trade talks with Canada after Ontario’s provincial government ran an anti-tariff advert in the United States – a move that reportedly infuriated him.
It capped a fractious spring during which Trump openly mused that Canada should simply become the 51st US state.
Anand, however, sidestepped questions about the dispute, insisting she was in Niagara-on-the-Lake solely to focus on G7 business. She added that she had not raised trade matters during her meeting with Rubio, noting that responsibility for the file lies with another minister.
One sensitive topic that barely featured – at least publicly – was the Trump administration’s expanding military campaign against alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
Washington says it has carried out 19 strikes since early September, killing at least 75 people. Members of Congress have been pressing for clarity on who is being targeted and on what legal basis.
Yet Rubio insisted the issue simply did not arise in his discussions with fellow ministers. “It didn’t come up once,” he said, brushing aside reports that Britain had halted intelligence sharing.
“Nothing has changed or happened that has impeded in any way our ability to do what we’re doing,” he added. “Nor are we asking anyone to help us with what we’re doing – in any realm. And that includes military.”
Sudan’s civilians flee mounting atrocities as Darfur’s war deepens
Condemnation of Sudan violence
Where the ministers did speak out forcefully was on Sudan, where violence between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces is spiralling.
In their statement, G7 countries condemned the escalation in fighting, while Rubio described the humanitarian situation as dire and urged efforts to halt the flow of weapons to the RSF.
Pressed on the widely reported role of the United Arab Emirates – allegations the UAE has repeatedly denied – Rubio was circumspect but pointed.
The United States, he said, knew exactly who was supplying the RSF. “At the highest levels of our government, that case is being made and that pressure is being applied to the relevant parties,” he said. “This needs to stop.”
Alongside the G7 members – Canada, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan – Anand expanded the table by inviting ministers from Australia, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa and Ukraine.
G7 ministers unite on Ukraine and Sudan, avoid US military and trade disputes
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven industrialised democracies wrapped up talks in Canada on Wednesday, reaffirming support for Ukraine and condemning violence in Sudan while steering clear of contentious issues such as recent US military strikes in the Caribbean and tensions over trade.
Issued on: 13/11/2025 -
By: FRANCE 24
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven industrialised democracies wrapped up talks in Canada on Wednesday, reaffirming support for Ukraine and condemning violence in Sudan while steering clear of contentious issues such as recent US military strikes in the Caribbean and tensions over trade.
Issued on: 13/11/2025 -
By: FRANCE 24
US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth attend a cabinet meeting at the White House, in Washington, DC
. © Evelyn Hockstein, Reuters
Top diplomats from the Group of Seven industrialised democracies publicly showed their consensus on Ukraine and Sudan on Wednesday, but stayed away from contentious issues like the US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean and trade.
The foreign ministers of the G7 met with Ukraine's foreign minister on Wednesday as Kyiv tries to fend off Russian aerial attacks that have brought rolling blackouts across the country. Andriy Sybiha said Ukraine needs the support of its partners to survive what will be a “very difficult, very tough winter".
“We have to move forward to pressure Russia, to raise the price for the aggression, for Russia, for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, to end this war,” Sybiha said.
The G7 ministers said in a joint statement at the conclusion of the two-day gathering that they are increasing the economic costs to Russia and exploring measures against those who finance Russia’s war efforts.
Canada announced more sanctions against Russia, including targeting those involved in the development and deployment of drones, and Britain, a day earlier, pledged money for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made no immediate announcements about new US initiatives but said on social media that the meeting delved into ways “to strengthen Ukraine’s defence and find an end to this bloody conflict".
Deceived and deployed: Russia recruits Indians as cannon fodder on the Ukrainian front
“We are doing whatever is necessary to support Ukraine,” Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said.
The meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake, near the US border, followed President Donald Trump’s decision to end trade talks with Canada after the Ontario provincial government ran an anti-tariff advertisement in the US, which upset him. That followed a spring of acrimony, since abated, over the president’s insistence that Canada should become the 51st US state.
Anand declined to talk about the trade dispute.
“I am here to talk about the work that the G7 ministers are doing,” she said. “And that is exactly what I think I should be discussing.”
Anand met with Rubio, but said she did not bring up trade talks, noting that a different minister leads the trade issue.
The Trump administration says the US military has killed at least 75 people in 19 known strikes against what it says are drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since early September. The administration has been under pressure from Congress to provide more information about who is being targeted and the legal justification for the strikes.
READ MOREUS strikes 2 more Latin American ‘drug boats’, bringing death toll to 76
Rubio told reporters that questions about the military campaign and intelligence sharing in support of the operations were not raised with him at all by any of his G7 or other counterparts on Wednesday.
“It didn’t come up once,” Rubio said.
He also denied a report that Britain has stopped sharing intelligence.
“Again, nothing has changed or happened that has impeded in any way our ability to do what we’re doing. Nor are we asking anyone to help us with what we’re doing – in any realm. And that includes military,” Rubio said.
The G7 ministers in their joint statement strongly condemned the recent escalation of violence in war-torn Sudan, and Rubio decried the humanitarian situation and said “something needs to be done” to cut off the weapons and other support that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are receiving as they battle the Sudanese army.
Asked by reporters about the role of the United Arab Emirates in the conflict, Rubio said the US knows who’s involved in supplying the RSF.
“I can just tell you, at the highest levels of our government, that case is being made and that pressure is being applied to the relevant parties,” Rubio said, without naming any country. “This needs to stop. I mean, they’re clearly receiving assistance from outside.”
The Associated Press has reported that US intelligence assessments for many months have found that the United Arab Emirates, a close US ally, has been sending weapons to the RSF. The UAE denies backing the RSF.
The G7 comprises Canada, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Anand also invited the foreign ministers of Australia, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa and Ukraine to the meeting, which began Tuesday.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
Top diplomats from the Group of Seven industrialised democracies publicly showed their consensus on Ukraine and Sudan on Wednesday, but stayed away from contentious issues like the US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean and trade.
The foreign ministers of the G7 met with Ukraine's foreign minister on Wednesday as Kyiv tries to fend off Russian aerial attacks that have brought rolling blackouts across the country. Andriy Sybiha said Ukraine needs the support of its partners to survive what will be a “very difficult, very tough winter".
“We have to move forward to pressure Russia, to raise the price for the aggression, for Russia, for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, to end this war,” Sybiha said.
The G7 ministers said in a joint statement at the conclusion of the two-day gathering that they are increasing the economic costs to Russia and exploring measures against those who finance Russia’s war efforts.
Canada announced more sanctions against Russia, including targeting those involved in the development and deployment of drones, and Britain, a day earlier, pledged money for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made no immediate announcements about new US initiatives but said on social media that the meeting delved into ways “to strengthen Ukraine’s defence and find an end to this bloody conflict".
Deceived and deployed: Russia recruits Indians as cannon fodder on the Ukrainian front
“We are doing whatever is necessary to support Ukraine,” Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said.
The meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake, near the US border, followed President Donald Trump’s decision to end trade talks with Canada after the Ontario provincial government ran an anti-tariff advertisement in the US, which upset him. That followed a spring of acrimony, since abated, over the president’s insistence that Canada should become the 51st US state.
Anand declined to talk about the trade dispute.
“I am here to talk about the work that the G7 ministers are doing,” she said. “And that is exactly what I think I should be discussing.”
Anand met with Rubio, but said she did not bring up trade talks, noting that a different minister leads the trade issue.
The Trump administration says the US military has killed at least 75 people in 19 known strikes against what it says are drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since early September. The administration has been under pressure from Congress to provide more information about who is being targeted and the legal justification for the strikes.
READ MOREUS strikes 2 more Latin American ‘drug boats’, bringing death toll to 76
Rubio told reporters that questions about the military campaign and intelligence sharing in support of the operations were not raised with him at all by any of his G7 or other counterparts on Wednesday.
“It didn’t come up once,” Rubio said.
He also denied a report that Britain has stopped sharing intelligence.
“Again, nothing has changed or happened that has impeded in any way our ability to do what we’re doing. Nor are we asking anyone to help us with what we’re doing – in any realm. And that includes military,” Rubio said.
The G7 ministers in their joint statement strongly condemned the recent escalation of violence in war-torn Sudan, and Rubio decried the humanitarian situation and said “something needs to be done” to cut off the weapons and other support that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are receiving as they battle the Sudanese army.
Asked by reporters about the role of the United Arab Emirates in the conflict, Rubio said the US knows who’s involved in supplying the RSF.
“I can just tell you, at the highest levels of our government, that case is being made and that pressure is being applied to the relevant parties,” Rubio said, without naming any country. “This needs to stop. I mean, they’re clearly receiving assistance from outside.”
The Associated Press has reported that US intelligence assessments for many months have found that the United Arab Emirates, a close US ally, has been sending weapons to the RSF. The UAE denies backing the RSF.
The G7 comprises Canada, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Anand also invited the foreign ministers of Australia, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa and Ukraine to the meeting, which began Tuesday.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
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