Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy were seen walking together during the G7 Leaders' Summit held in Kananaskis, Alberta, on June 17, 2025. REUTERS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy left the Group of Seven (G7) summit on Tuesday with new help from Canada. Canada pledged nearly $1.5 billion in military aid to support Ukraine’s fight against Russia. But Zelenskiy said diplomacy is in “crisis” because he missed a chance to meet U.S. President Donald Trump to ask for more weapons.
No Strong G7 Statement on Ukraine
The G7 countries struggled to agree on a strong message about the war. One Canadian official said the U.S. blocked a tough statement on Ukraine. Later, Canada’s Prime Minister’s office said no such statement was planned at all. Instead, the summit focused on other issues.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada would give new military help and impose fresh financial sanctions on Russia. Zelenskiy told leaders that diplomacy is failing and urged them to push Trump “to use his real influence” to end the war.
Trump’s Early Exit and Mixed Signals
Trump left the summit a day early to deal with the conflict between Israel and Iran back in Washington. Before leaving, he showed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and questioned past decisions to exclude Russia from international groups.
European leaders told Trump they want to keep pressure on Russia. Trump seemed interested but did not promise new sanctions. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he feels “cautious optimism” that the U.S. will soon take stronger action.
G7 Focus on Other Global Issues
Apart from Ukraine, G7 leaders agreed on statements about migrant smuggling, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, wildfires, transnational repression, and quantum computing.
Canada holds the G7 presidency this year and invited countries like India, Mexico, and Brazil to the summit. This move aims to strengthen alliances and reduce trade dependence on the U.S. Carney warmly welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hoping to improve tense relations.
Kremlin Reacts to G7 and Trump
The Kremlin called the G7 “rather useless” for Russia. It agreed with Trump’s view that the group lost importance after Russia’s exclusion in 2014 over Crimea.
Trade Deals and Diplomacy
Leaders hoped to make trade deals, but only a U.S.-UK deal was finalized. Even after Trump left, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stayed to continue discussions.
Zelenskiy’s visit highlighted the challenges Ukraine faces in getting international support. Canada showed strong backing, but Zelenskiy’s hopes to secure more U.S. weapons and a meeting with Trump fell short.
