U.S. Blocks Strong G7 Stance on Ukraine, Forcing Canada to Back Down
Canada has abandoned plans for the Group of Seven (G7) to issue a unified, strongly worded statement on the war in Ukraine after objections from the United States.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to Reuters, citing a senior Canadian official speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing G7 Leaders’ Summit.
The official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of diplomatic discussions, said the United States sought to tone down the proposed language.
Ottawa believed the changes would undermine the level of support Ukraine deserved, especially given President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s presence at the summit on Tuesday.
“We felt the revised version wouldn’t reflect the seriousness of the situation or the solidarity Ukraine needs,” the official noted.
As a result, Canada opted to forgo a collective G7 declaration on Ukraine. Instead, PM Mark Carney is expected to release a separate statement later today, which will incorporate the views of the other six G7 nations – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the European Union, but exclude joint endorsement by the United States.
President Zelenskyy arrived at the summit hoping for a renewed show of unity and firm commitments.
However, the absence of a joint G7 statement may raise fresh questions about the West’s ability to maintain a cohesive front in backing Ukraine.
According to CBC News, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is cutting short his visit after deadly overnight strikes on the Ukrainian capital and the US president's decision to skip Tuesday's G7 summit events.
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