
The G7 summit in Canada has concluded without a joint statement in support of Ukraine, highlighting growing differences within the group amid escalating global crises. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that “diplomacy is now in a state of crisis” after being denied a meeting with US President Donald Trump, who left the summit a day early to address the escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran from Washington.
Despite meeting with other G7 leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and NATO chief Mark Rutte, Zelenskyy expressed his concerns about the current state of diplomacy. He urged the remaining leaders to continue calling on Trump “to use his real influence” to press for an end to the war in Ukraine.
The inability to issue a joint statement on Ukraine reflects the growing differences within the G7. A Canadian official initially suggested that plans for a joint statement had been dropped due to US resistance, but this was later retracted. According to Emily Williams, a spokesperson for Canada’s prime minister, “no proposed statement regarding Ukraine was distributed to other leaders.”
The differences in views towards Russia within the group were underlined by Trump on Monday, when he said it had been a mistake to expel Moscow from what was formerly the G8 in response to its invasion and annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014.
Despite the challenges, Zelenskyy left the summit with a pledge from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to provide 2 billion Canadian dollars ($1.47bn) in new military assistance for Kyiv, as well as to impose new financial sanctions on Russia. Carney’s commitment demonstrates the ongoing support of Ukraine’s allies, even as the G7 struggles to present a united front on the issue.
Zelenskyy had arrived at the summit calling for support from Ukraine’s allies, declaring he was ready for peace negotiations. “We are ready for the peace negotiations, unconditional ceasefire,” he said. “But for this, we need pressure.”
Before his departure, Trump did agree to a group statement calling for a resolution of the Israel-Iran conflict. The statement, issued on Monday, backed Israel and called Iran the principal source of regional instability and terror, asserting that Israel has the right to defend itself. The statement called for a “de-escalation of hostilities,” despite some bellicose social media posts from Trump hinting at greater US military involvement in the conflict.