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G7 ministers affirm support for Ukraine amid US tensions with allies

2 min read
G7 ministers affirm support for Ukraine amid US tensions with allies
The lettering "G7 - 2025" divided by a maple leaf, a symbol for Canada, can be seen during the second day of the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. Topics at the meeting from March 12 to 14 include the war in Ukraine and the Middle East conflict. (Sebastian Christoph Gollnow / picture alliance via Getty) Images)

Despite tensions between the Trump administration and several U.S. allies over trade policies and other disputes, G7 foreign ministers meeting in Canada reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine.

The diplomats from Canada, the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the European Union presented a united stance on supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty, though their final statement was notably less forceful than in previous years.

The group’s communiqué, released on March 14, affirmed Ukraine’s "territorial integrity and right to exist," while condemning Russian "acts of aggression." However, its language was softer than the G7 leaders’ statement from November 2024, which had pledged "unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as it takes" and labeled Russia "the sole obstacle" to peace.

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The shift in tone reflects the diplomatic challenges posed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy, which has at times questioned U.S. support for Kyiv.

During the meeting in La Malbaie, Quebec, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio faced pressure from allies to clarify Washington’s position on Ukraine. While he avoided direct confrontation, Rubio emphasized that the U.S. and its partners would "not let things that we don’t agree on stop us from agreeing on other things."

Meanwhile, European ministers made symbolic gestures of solidarity with Ukraine. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and EU diplomat Kaja Kallas posted a photo of themselves dressed in Canada’s national colors alongside a message to Joly: "We’ve got your back."

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Olena Goncharova

Head of North America desk

Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.

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