Joly says G7 foreign ministers ‘must meet the moment’ as she floats maritime projects

LA MALBAIE, Que. — Ministers representing some of the world’s most powerful countries gathered in a show of unity for liberal democracy Thursday, with Canada proposing maritime co-operation as the G7 splits on Ukraine and U.S. tariffs.

“We must meet the moment,” Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly told her counterparts from the U.S., Europe and Japan as she opened the Group of Seven foreign ministers’ meeting in the Charlevoix region, northeast of Quebec City. “We should not be daunted by the task.”

Earlier, Joly promised to raise American economic coercion and U.S. President Donald Trump’s calls for Canada’s annexation in her closed-door bilateral discussions.

But she limited her public remarks Thursday to shared priorities, noting that the G7 has made strides recently on defending Ukrainian sovereignty and countering foreign interference operations.

She called on the G7 to co-operate on addressing “the maritime dimension” of security threats, including “growing shadow fleets, dark vessels, sabotage of critical undersea infrastructure, illegal fishing and the loss of maritime biodiversity.”

Before giving her opening statement, Joly spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio one-on-one. She later posted on social media that they discussed “the impact of tariffs” but didn’t share the message she delivered.

The G7 faces growing instability around the world and a shifting geopolitical climate, especially since Trump’s return to the White House.

Trump has broken with allies who have tried to isolate Russia over its war on Ukraine, while also pressing a trade war with Canada and Europe.

This week’s meeting comes days after Ukraine said it would be willing to accept a ceasefire if Russia agrees to certain conditions. In a statement issued late Wednesday, Joly said Canada welcomes a possible ceasefire and expects Russia to step up.

“With this agreement, Ukraine has once again shown its desire to end the war as soon as possible, and its commitment to being a constructive partner,” she wrote, praising the talks for focusing on the humanitarian impacts of the war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he agrees in principle with a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine but needs to know its terms.

Japan’s foreign ministry described the discussions on Ukraine Thursday as “a candid exchange of views” that included “the importance for the G7 to work together to have Russia act positively.”

Japan said that how the Ukraine war ends could set “wrong precedents” for the entire world. It has previously cited the fact that North Korean troops are serving on Russia’s frontline with Ukraine.

“The security of Europe and Indo-Pacific has become more and more inseparable,” the ministry noted in another summary of Thursday’s talks.

Joly did not address media after her opening remarks Thursday and her office published little information on how the talks went.

It was widely reported last weekend that Washington had vetoed a Canadian proposal for the Charlevoix summit aimed at cracking down on Russian “shadow fleet” oil tankers that are evading Western economic sanctions.

A Canadian government official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the diplomatic issue, confirmed these media reports for The Canadian Press, and Joly alluded to the issue in her opening remarks Thursday.

On Wednesday, Joly told reporters that she would use “every single meeting” to push back on U.S. tariffs, saying they are aimed at annexing Canada.

That same day, Rubio said that the G7 gathering “is not a meeting about how we’re going to take over Canada.”

So far, Ottawa’s partners have largely avoided commenting publicly on Trump’s ambitions to make Canada a U.S. state.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and the EU’s foreign policy chief used their clothing choices to send a message of support Thursday.

Tagging Joly, Baerbock posted a photo on the platform X of herself wearing white alongside European Commission High Representative Kaja Kallas wearing red, with the words, “We’ve got your back” and a Canadian flag.

“It’s Canadian colours, so that’s showing our solidarity to our Canadian friends,” Kallas said later in an interview.

Earlier, Baerbock suggested that G7 nations should avoid panic.

“We have learned altogether in these shaky geopolitical times … especially in moments when your heart is really beating, it’s important to keep a calm,” Baerbock told reporters.

She added that the G7 has been “a powerhouse … for freedom, for our common understanding of peace.”

When asked why he hadn’t spoken up about Trump’s threat to annex Canada, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said “the answer is very clear. Canada will be Canada in the future.”

Vina Nadjibulla, research vice-president for the Asia Pacific Foundation, said Joly’s talk of maritime initiatives is a way for Canada to find consensus and to be seen as useful to G7 partners.

“It’s a really smart way to put a number of things on the agenda, and it’s a crosscutting topic that showcases both Canada’s capacities but also our positioning,” she said. “It brings together our Indo-Pacific, Arctic and euro-Atlantic agenda.”

Nadjibulla said these initiatives could respond to freedom-of-navigation issues in the Taiwan Strait, European concerns about undersea cables and broader ocean protection and trade issues.

They build on Canada’s work to combat illegal fishing in places like Southeast Asia and military co-operation with countries like the Philippines, she said.

“A key concern for Minister Joly, and for Canada in general, is to maintain G7 unity and to be able to pragmatically and practically focus on things that are important to all members, and also the U.S.,” she said. “It’s an issue that is critical to our own national security because of the Arctic.”

The ministers are scheduled to hold an early afternoon news conference Friday, though it wasn’t clear Thursday evening how this would proceed.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney will be sworn in as prime minister Friday morning, along with his cabinet.

Joly is expected to remain as foreign minister and normally would be attending the swearing-in at Rideau Hall.

Canada holds the rotating G7 presidency this year and a national leaders’ summit is planned for June in Alberta.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2025.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press