Allies preserve unity even as Trump's tariffs and Canada taunts overshadow G7 meeting

LA MALBAIE, Quebec (AP) — Top diplomats from the Group of 7 industrialized democracies agreed Friday on a joint statement expressing support for Ukraine and a U.S. ceasefire proposal in the three-year-old war even as President Donald Trump’s trade policies and taunts toward host Canada overshadowed the talks.

Despite the tensions, diplomats from the U.S., Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan signed off on a final communique after hours of late-night negotiations. There were concerns that the bloc’s once solid unity had been thrown into irreversible disarray by Trump's whopping tariffs on steel and aluminum and threats for additional levies if there is any retaliation.

Although the trade war and Trump’s repeated comments about turning Canada into the 51st state distracted from the discussions, diplomats were able to rally around his Ukraine peace plan.

“G7 members reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity and right to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty and independence," the communique said. “G7 members called for Russia to reciprocate by agreeing to a ceasefire on equal terms and implementing it fully.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied after the meeting that the G7 support for Ukraine's territorial sovereignty strayed from the Trump administration's position, including its insistence that Ukraine must be open to ceding control of some land to Russia to get a peace deal.

“I’ve never heard President Trump say that Russia has a right to take all of Ukraine and do whatever they want there," Rubio told reporters. "So that’s not inconsistent.”

The G7 diplomats discussed, but did not detail, imposing further sanctions on Russia — including the possibility of selling seized Russian assets to fund Ukraine's defense — should Russia not accept and respect a ceasefire and providing additional support for Ukraine in that event.

In a significant change from the past, the G7 statement did not contain a specific condemnation of Russia for invading Ukraine. Rubio had said prior to the meetings that the U.S. did not see the value in antagonizing Russian President Vladimir Putin while he was considering Trump’s ceasefire proposal.

Putin said Thursday he agrees with the plan in principle, but set out a host of details that need to be clarified before it is accepted.

The G7 statement “emphasized that any ceasefire must be respected and underscored the need for robust and credible security arrangements to ensure that Ukraine can deter and defend against any renewed acts of aggression.”

Still, Trump’s apparent desire to draw Putin back into the fold — including saying he would like to see Russia rejoin the group to restore it to the G8 — continues to alarm G7 members. Russia was thrown out of the G8 after it seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Despite the agreement on key points, Trump's policies were front and center as the allies gathered for two days of talks at a snowy resort in La Malbaie, Quebec.

All G7 members are affected by the tariffs but perhaps none more so than Canada, the only one that borders the United States and the only one that Trump has personally antagonized with repeated derogatory comments about it becoming the 51st state.

Rubio, on his first official trip to Canada and his first to a G7 event, heard a litany of complaints as he met with his counterparts.

Many of them, notably the Japanese, appealed to Rubio to use what influence he might have with Trump to spare their country from harsh trade treatment. But Trump has said he will not relent.

"We will put maximum pressure on the Americans and, meanwhile, will work on looking for off-ramps," Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly told reporters Friday. “The Trump tariffs are going to hurt Americans. That’s our message, that’s our approach."

Rubio, who called Joly a friend, said the tariffs are not meant to be a “hostile move” against allies but are about making trade fair. Those benefiting from previous arrangements likely do “feel it is hostile to change the status quo because it’s to your benefit," he told reporters.

Joly said her discussion with Rubio had been “frank” — diplomatic code for “blunt.”

“I wanted to be able to have a frank conversation," Joly said. "Of course, Canada’s sovereignty is not up for debate and we had a long conversation on tariffs and trade.”

After Trump reiterated in the Oval Office on Thursday that "Canada only works as a state,” Joly stood firm.

“What I said to the secretary is that Canada’s sovereignty is not up for debate. Period," she said Friday. “There is no argument. There is no conversation about it.” She added, as if addressing him, "You are here, you respect us, you respect our sovereignty, you respect our people. Period.”

Rubio told reporters Friday that Trump “loves Canada” and has simply “made an argument for why Canada would be better off joining the United States from an economic perspective and the like. He’s made that argument repeatedly, and I think it stands for itself.”

Joly noted that many of the allies thought Trump's comments were a joke.

“I said to them this is not a joke — Canadians are anxious, Canadians are proud people, and you are here in a sovereign country, and so therefore, we don’t expect this to be even discussed, clearly not laughed at,” she said.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said G7 nations should avoid panic and posted a message of support for Canada on X, featuring a photo of her and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. “We’ve got your back, @melaniejoly,” she wrote. “#Canada #Solidarity."

Friday’s sessions were shortened due to Joly’s need to depart earlier than planned to attend Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s swearing-in ceremony and first Cabinet meeting.

The final communique presented common positions not only on Ukraine but on the Middle East, wars in Africa and Chinese activity in the South China Sea.

On the Middle East, the communique did not, as it has in previous years, express support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But it did recognize the need for the Palestinians to have a “political horizon” to reach their aspirations.

“All of that has united us,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. “So this has been a unified conference in which we have found common ground. And I’m pleased at the effort and the sense of warmth that exists across the partners in the G7.”

Associated Press writers Rob Gillies in Toronto and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed to this report.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with reporters following the G7 foreign ministers meeting in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada, on Friday, March 14, 2025. (Saul Loeb, Pool Photo via AP)

From left, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, British Foreign Minister David Lammy, French Foreign Minister Jean-No'l Barrot, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani pose for a photo during the G7 foreign ministers meeting in La Malbaie, Canada, Friday March 14, 2025. (Saul Loeb, Pool Photo via AP)

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly awaits the arrival of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers meeting in La Malbaie, Canada, Friday March 14, 2025. (Saul Loeb, Pool Photo via AP)

From left, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, British Foreign Minister David Lammy, French Foreign Minister Jean-No'l Barrot, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani pose for a photo during the G7 foreign ministers meeting in La Malbaie, Canada, Friday March 14, 2025. (Saul Loeb, Pool Photo via AP)

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot attends the G7 foreign ministers meeting in La Malbaie, Canada, Friday March 14, 2025. (Saul Loeb, Pool Photo via AP)

Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi attends the G7 foreign ministers meeting in La Malbaie, Canada, Friday March 14, 2025. (Saul Loeb, Pool Photo via AP)

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, left, speaks alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the G7 foreign ministers meeting in La Malbaie, Canada, Friday March 14, 2025. (Saul Loeb, Pool Photo via AP)

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly awaits the arrival of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers meeting in La Malbaie, Canada, Friday March 14, 2025. (Saul Loeb, Pool Photo via AP)

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy speaks during an interview on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers meeting in La Malbaie, Canada, Friday March 14, 2025. (Saul Loeb, Pool Photo via AP)

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, left, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pose for photos on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers meeting in La Malbaie, Canada, Friday March 14, 2025. (Saul Loeb, Pool Photo via AP)

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly (C) speaks alongside, from left, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, at the G7 foreign ministers meeting in La Malbaie, Canada, Friday March 14, 2025. (Saul Loeb, Pool Photo via AP)

LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told allies to “keep the pressure” on Russian President Vladimir Putin to back a ceasefire in Ukraine, hailing Ukraine as the “party of peace.”

In his opening remarks Saturday, Starmer said Putin will “sooner or later” have to “come to the table.”

Unlike the first summit on March 2, the meeting of what Starmer has termed the “coalition of the willing” is being conducted virtually. The call is expected to delve into how countries can help Ukraine militarily and financially as well as gauging support for any future possible peacekeeping mission in the event Putin backs a cessation of hostilities.

“My feeling is that sooner or later he's going to have to come to the table and engage in serious discussion, but — this is a big but for us this morning in our meeting — we can’t sit back and simply wait for that to happen," Starmer told leaders while sitting in front of a screen in an office in 10, Downing Street.

“I think that means strengthening Ukraine so they can defend themselves, and strengthening, obviously, in terms of military capability, in terms of funding, in terms of the provision of further support from all of us to Ukraine.”

Around 25 countries are expected to be involved in the call, including European partners such as France and Italy, and Ukraine. Leaders from Australia, Canada and New Zealand, as well as officials from NATO and the European Union’s executive, are also set to take part. The United States is not represented at the meeting.

Saturday’s meeting takes place in the wake of a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has backed. Putin has indicated that he supports a truce in principle but has set out a host of details that need to be clarified before agreeing to a ceasefire.

“President Zelensky, who’s with us this morning, has shown once again that Ukraine is the party of peace, because he has agreed to and committed to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire," Starmer said. “Now what we see, and this is centerpiece for our discussions today, is that Putin is the one trying to delay.”

The United States has shifted its approach on the war since the return of President Donald Trump to the White House. The change of approach relative to that taken by Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, became particularly notable after Trump clashed with Zelenskyy on Feb. 28 in the Oval Office.

Trump voiced optimism Friday that Putin, who met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff earlier in the week, will back a ceasefire.

“I'm getting from the standpoint about a ceasefire and ultimately a deal some pretty good vibes coming out of Russia,” he said.

Starmer has taken the lead, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, in assembling the “coalition of the willing,” in part to persuade Trump to maintain support for Kyiv. One outcome has already been a growing acceptance from European countries in particular that they need to do more to ensure their own security, including by increasing their defense spending.

Images from the Elysee showed Macron and his aides listening to Starmer's opening statement in a room of the French presidential palace.

Ukraine, under severe military pressure on parts of the front line three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, has already endorsed the truce proposal. Russia’s army has gained battlefield momentum, and analysts say Putin likely will be reluctant to rush into a ceasefire while he feels he has an advantage.

Starmer said that if Putin is “serious about peace,” he has to “stop his barbaric attacks" on Ukraine and agree to a ceasefire.

“The world is watching,” he said.

John Leicester in Paris contributed to this report.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks with European leaders at the beginning of a video conference at 10 Downing Street in London, England, March 15, 2025. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks with European leaders at the beginning of a video conference at 10 Downing Street in London, England, March 15, 2025. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks with European leaders at the beginning of a video conference at 10 Downing Street in London, England, March 15, 2025. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron, second left, , shakes hands with Colonel-General Ruslan Khomchak, First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, as French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, right, and Chief of Staff of the French Armed Forces Thierry Burkhard, left, look on during a meeting on the conflict in Ukraine at the Musee de la Marine as part of the Paris Defense and Strategy Forum in Paris, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro during their talks via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 14, 2025. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during the briefing in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

In this photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, March 14, 2025, Russian soldiers ride atop of self-propelled gun at an area in the Kursk region of Russia after it was taken over by Russian troops. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

In this photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, March 14, 2025, a Russian soldier rises a red flag atop of a house at an area in the Kursk region of Russia after it was taken over by Russian troops. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer gestures during a Q&A session after delivering a speech on plans to reform the civil service, during a visit to Reckitt Benckiser Health Care UK Ltd in Kingston upon Hull, England, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (Oli Scarff/Pool Photo via AP)

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer departs 10 Downing Street to attend Prime Minister's Questions at the Houses of Parliament in London, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)