Ukraine's foreign minister meets Rubio, other G7 partners to push for defense, energy support
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met top diplomats of the Group of Seven (G7) in Canada on Nov. 12 to discuss support for Ukraine in the face of intensifying Russian attacks.
The meeting in Ontario takes place as Moscow launches barrages of drones and missiles against Ukraine's energy grid and its forces push forward in southern Zaporizhzhia Oblast and into a key eastern town of Pokrovsk.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined the meeting and held talks with Sybiha, who praised U.S. President Donald Trump's "peace efforts and very effective energy sanctions against Russia."
Last month, Trump imposed sanctions against Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil for the first time, shortly after preparations for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin fell through.
"We need to continue to increase the cost of war for Putin and his regime, forcing Russia to end the war," Sybiha commented on X.
Trump's months-long push to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, marked by frequent policy reversals, has largely stalled as Moscow continues to reject a ceasefire and presses territorial demands.
Russia and Ukraine held three rounds of peace talks in Istanbul earlier this year, with new agreements on exchanges of captives and bodies of fallen soldiers seen as the only tangible results.
Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Serhii Kyslytsia recently told the Times that Russian negotiators in Turkey were avoiding substantive discussions and only pretending to make progress to impress the U.S.
According to Sybiha, he and Rubio also discussed the battlefield situation and Ukraine's priority needs in defense and energy support.
"The United States remains steadfast in working with our partners to encourage Russia to pursue diplomacy and engage directly with Ukraine for a durable and lasting peace," Rubio said.
Sybiha previously announced that the meeting with G7 partners would focus on strengthening Ukraine's long-range capabilities, increasing investments in the Ukrainian defense industry, and promoting peace efforts.
Meeting Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, Sybiha thanked Canada — currently chairing the G7 — for new sanctions against Russia, military and energy aid, and Canada's leadership in efforts to bring back Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.
Ukraine's foreign minister also met with his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy, and the EU's chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, to discuss aid, sanctions against Russia, and the "fight against corruption."
Referring to recent corruption scandals in Ukraine, Sybiha pledged that those implicated "will be held accountable."
Ukraine has been rocked by a major corruption case involving the state nuclear power company Energoatom and Timur Mindich, a close associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk have submitted their resignations in the wake of the scandal, following Zelensky's appeal for them to do so.
