Top diplomats from the Group of Seven nations gathered in the Niagara region this week to discuss global crises — but Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said she did not broach stalled trade negotiations between Ottawa and the United States.
Anand and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on the margins of the summit Wednesday, where they spoke about a range of issues including Ukraine, the Middle East, Haiti and Arctic sovereignty.
Asked repeatedly whether she spoke with Rubio about Canada-U.S. trade, Anand said that falls under the purview of Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc.
"Minister LeBlanc is working hard on this file every single day," Anand told reporters. "And I am here to talk about the work that the G7 ministers are doing together."
U.S President Donald Trump suspended trade talks with Canada last month in response to an Ontario-sponsored ad campaign that quoted former president Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs.
While Prime Minister Mark Carney apologized for the ad and appeared friendly with Trump at a global leaders' meeting in South Korea, the negotiations have not resumed.
Anand wrapped up Canada's G7 presidency by making a case for multilateralism and shoring up new trading relationships in response to Trump's tariffs. Anand also invited Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and South Korea to take part.
But America's strikes on boats in the Caribbean cast a shadow over the two-day meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Monday that the U.S. military had killed six more people — bringing the death total to 76 — in the latest strike in international waters. The Trump administration has said it's targeting narcotics traffickers but has not presented any evidence publicly.
CNN reported Tuesday that the United Kingdom stopped sharing some intelligence with the United States about suspected traffickers in the region because it did not want to be complicit and did not think the strikes were legal.
Reuters reported later Tuesday that French Foreign Minister France's Jean-Noel Barrot, who was at the G7 in Ontario, said the strikes violate international law.
Canada continues to share intelligence with the Americans through Operation Caribbe to intercept narcotics destined for North America, Anand said, but it's not involved in the controversial strikes.
Anand said the United States "has made clear that it is using its own intelligence," adding that she did not bring up the issue with Rubio.
As the summit closed, G7 foreign ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union issued a joint statement about multiple geopolitical challenges including about the fragile ceasefire in Gaza and security in the Indo-Pacific. It also addressed maritime security but not the U.S. strikes on boats in international waters.
The communique offered strongly worded support for Ukraine after Russia again attacked the Ukrainian power grid and overran areas in the country's south.
"We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force," the joint statement said.
Nearly four years into the brutal war, Russian attacks have brought rolling blackouts to Ukraine as winter approaches. U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to negotiate a ceasefire remain at a standstill.
Rubio has long been critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump, meanwhile, remains inconsistent in his approach to the war.
The June G7 leaders summit in Alberta was meant to showcase unity on top global concerns — but Trump left that gathering early, saying he had to deal with tensions between Israel and Iran. Ultimately, no joint statement on Ukraine was released at that meeting after pushback from Trump's team.
Last month, after much back and forth, Trump approved new sanctions that take aim at Russia's oil sector, which are set to come into force on Nov. 21.
Anand earlier Wednesday announced Canada is hitting Russia with sanctions targeting those behind Russia's drone and cyber attacks on Ukraine.
"Canada has made it a priority of our G7 presidency to maintain and strengthen our support for Ukraine at every opportunity," Anand said.
The sanctions, which take effect immediately, will also hit 100 vessels in Russia's sanctions-evading shadow fleet and two Russian liquefied natural gas entities.
The sanctions target 13 individuals and 11 entities. A news release said the move supports efforts by the G7 to ramp up economic pressure on Russia and is in broad alignment with similar actions by the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn
