G7 leaders agree to ‘charter' on wildfires, pledging global co-operation
BANFF - Leaders of the G7 have agreed to co-operate on efforts to manage the impacts of devastating wildfires, which are surging for another summer across Canada.
The leaders are calling it the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter — and it's believed to be a groundbreaking commitment for G7 leaders.
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Toronto Star
2 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Mark Carney and world leaders unable to convince Donald Trump to sign joint G7 declaration of support for Ukraine
KANANASKIS, Alta. — The G7 group of world leaders emerged from its Canadian summit without a joint statement against Russia, showing that achieving unity is a lot harder than it looks. Prime Minister Mark Carney and other world leaders around the table could not persuade U.S. President Donald Trump, before he left for Washington, to sign on to a joint declaration of support for Ukraine that contained 'strong language' that Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Britain, Japan and the European Union all wanted to exert pressure on Russia, according to a Canadian official who briefed reporters Tuesday afternoon before Carney addressed a closing news conference. However Carney later downplayed the absence of a joint G7 declaration on Ukraine, and denied there was any split or disagreement in the G7 ranks. He suggested that the leaders simply agreed that, before Trump took off, the more urgent priority to agree upon was a joint declaration on Iran, and there were no insurmountable differences. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Leaders of the G7 nations gather for a photo in Kananaskis, Alta., joined by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. U.S. President Donald Trump left the summit the day before to deal with the war between Iran and Israel. (June 17, 2025 / The Canadian Press) That didn't align with information provided earlier to Canadian reporters during a background briefing with a senior government official who said the American side wanted to 'water down' a Ukraine declaration because it would impede U.S. ability to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. The official briefed reporters on condition they not be identified in order to discuss the dynamic behind closed doors, and was only authorized to provide limited details. Late Tuesday, after Carney spoke, the PMO sought to clarify the record. PMO spokesperson Emily Williams in a statement to reporters said that Canada had not proposed a joint G7 document as such, only a 'chair's summary' to other delegations. 'No proposed joint statement regarding Ukraine was distributed. Canada's intention was always for the important language to be a part of the G7 Chairs' Summary Statement, and it was.' Another G7 source said the fault lines on any Ukraine statement were clear as early as last Friday. However Carney, visibly relaxed if not relieved following what he described as a successful summit, said 'I was in the room' and described a successful two days of meetings that produced six other joint statements supported by the G7 leaders and others. On Ukraine, he pointed to a 'chair's summary' that hadn't by then been published which included a single paragraph on Ukraine that Carney insisted represented G7 unity, reading out from it to dispute media questions on 'the minutiae' of the Ukraine discussion. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'G7 Leaders expressed support for President Trump's efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,' it read. 'They recognized that Ukraine has committed to an unconditional ceasefire, and they agreed that Russia must do the same,' the statement continued. It said they are 'resolute in exploring all options to maximize pressure on Russia, including financial sanctions.' Carney's summary of where they aligned — which did not state specific support for more sanctions, more military equipment or seizure of frozen Russian assets — comes at a time when Russia is intensifying its attacks on Ukraine's civilian population and the war-torn country's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to Kananaskis to rally more support. Zelenskyy left Wednesday, without ever seeing Trump, cancelling his own news conference. Nevertheless, the G7 did land on an agreed joint statement on Iran-Israel hostilities that the U.S. could live with. It supported a call for de-escalation of conflict in the Middle East region but did not specify the need to de-escalate the spiralling Iran-Israel crisis. It supported Israel's right to defend itself and identified Iran as 'the principal source of regional instability and terror.' There were other divides on display. Trump condemned the G7 decision in 2014 to evict Russia from the G8's ranks, after President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and annexed the Crimea peninsula. 'A big mistake,' Trump said as Carney stood silently by him Monday. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW In response to reporter questions Tuesday, Carney dismissed any concern that Putin may have been offended by his ouster. 'It was personally offensive, to put it mildly, to the citizens of Ukraine and the inhabitants of Crimea, when Russia invaded in 2014 which was the cause of their ejection from the G8,' Carney said. A huge divide between Trump and the G7, and other international leaders invited to the summit, exists over Trump's global tariffs. Several leaders hoped to negotiate bilateral deals here with Trump to ease the hit, but only a handful — Canada, Japan, the U.K. and the EU — even got a chance to talk directly with the president before he took off. Trump's delegates, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer, and another White House official remained behind to take part in the summit's meetings with Zelenskyy. French President Emmanuel Macron told the Star Trump's absence did not detract from the discussions on Ukraine with Zelenskyy. He said the G7 is united in a desire to find a lasting and enforceable end to the war. 'It is in the strategic American interest to continue this discussion with us and to do it as we discussed this morning: sanctions, military support for Ukraine to lead Russia to return to the table — which is, by the way, what President Trump has been asking for since February — a ceasefire, and negotiations for a lasting peace.' How they reach that goal is where they differ. Many G7 leaders want more muscular sanctions on Russia and more military equipment sent into Ukraine. Canada announced new measures Tuesday on those fronts, as did Britain. Both increased sanctions on individuals and entities, and targeted Russia's 'shadow fleet' of ships used to evade sanctions. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's sanctions package took aim at 30 targets across Russia's financial, military and energy sectors, and targets 20 of his oil tankers, as well as the companies responsible for crewing and managing the vessels, according to a U.K. news release. 'These sanctions strike right at the heart of Putin's war machine, choking off his ability to continue his barbaric war in Ukraine,' said Starmer. 'We know that our sanctions are hitting hard, so while Putin shows total disregard for peace, we will not hesitate to keep tightening the screws.' Zelenskyy met Carney in a bilateral meeting Tuesday after a devastating night where Russia rained down missile and drone strikes on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. The Ukrainian leader called it a 'big tragedy,' one of the biggest attacks since the beginning of the war, with 440 drones from Russia, and 32 missiles, including ballistic missiles, saying at that point he understood 138 people were injured and 12 killed in the attack. Carney, standing next to Zelenskyy, condemned 'in the strongest terms, the latest outrage — barbarism from Russia,' adding it 'underscores the importance of standing in total solidarity with Ukraine, with the Ukrainian people,' and 'the importance of using maximum pressure against Russia, who has refused to come to the table.' Canada will provide additional drones, helicopters and broader munitions, 'over $2 billion worth of assistance directly to Ukraine,' said Carney. And Ottawa is dispersing the next tranche of the loan based on the frozen Russian assets, $2.3 billion to help rebuild its infrastructure and public systems., he added. Zelenskyy, dressed in black, welcomed the aid. 'We need support from our allies,' he said, 'until Russia will be ready for the peace negotiations. We are ready for ... the unconditional ceasefire.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW As he wound up the summit, Carney struck a confidently cocky note, joking about the number of questions, quipping whether Trump had pegged the $71 billion tag for Canada to get in on the 'Golden Dome' in Canadian or U.S. dollars, wisecracking about a G7 where 'there are only, oddly, nine people in the room, because of the two extra Europe — not extra Europeans — right amount of Europeans.' He said the summit's direct dialogue and 'strategic exchanges' were invaluable and while leaders disagreed on 'a number of issues' it came from an 'effort to find common solutions to some of these problems.' Yet Carney was careful and guarded when he defended his controversial decision to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as an important world leader with whom Canada had to re-engage on law enforcement issues, trade and immigration issues. But Carney refused to answer directly about whether he raised the 'murder' case of Hardeep Singh Nijjar's alleged shooting death at the direction of Indian government agents. At the end, the G7 issued a number of other joint G7 statements which the U.S. to. They pledged co-operation and action to harness the power of artificial intelligence and quantum computing, to ramp up efforts including working with social media platforms and possible sanctions to counter migrant smuggling. The G7 leaders condemned transnational repression, vowing to create a new digital detection 'academy' to support potential targets. They agreed to address wildfires through mitigation and adaptation, construction of resilient infrastructure, to share data. Two other statements were issued on a new a critical minerals action plan, which was also endorsed by Australia, India and South Korea, and a Kananaskis Wildfires Charter endorsed by Australia, India, Mexico, South Korea, and South Africa. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! 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Canada Standard
2 hours ago
- Canada Standard
PM Modi emphasises Global South unity at G7 Summit
Kananaskis [Canada], June 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi provided updates on a series of high-level meetings held on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada, highlighting India's efforts to strengthen global partnerships and champion the cause of the Global South. He began by sharing on his official X handle about a 'fruitful discussion' with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. This was followed by a 'productive conversation' with Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, underscoring India's active engagement with key European leaders. Building on these interactions, PM Modi emphasised solidarity with the Global South after meetings with leaders from Brazil and South Africa. He described 'outstanding conversations' with President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, reaffirming their shared commitment to addressing issues vital to the Global South and working towards a better future for coming generations. Reflecting this sentiment, President Lula of Brazil tweeted, 'The Global South is present at the G7. Meeting with Cyril Ramaphosa and Narendra Modi,' highlighting the united voice of Global South leaders at the summit. Alongside these engagements, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held insightful deliberations with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba of Japan on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada. Sharing details of the meeting, Prime Minister Modi posted on his official handle on X (formerly Twitter), 'Insightful deliberations with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during the G7 Summit in Canada. India and Japan remain committed to further deepening bilateral ties across various sectors.' This meeting was part of a broader diplomatic effort by Prime Minister Modi, who engaged in a flurry of high-level bilateral meetings with leaders from Mexico, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, France, and Canada on the sidelines of the 51st G7 Summit in Kananaskis, reaffirming India's commitment to strengthening global partnerships. Kicking off his bilateral engagements, Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, posted on X, 'PM @narendramodi met President Mr. Lee Jae-Myung @Jaemyung_Lee of Republic of Korea on the sidelines of the 51st #G7Summit in Kananaskis, Canada.' The meeting saw both sides reaffirm their commitment to deepening the India-Republic of Korea Special Strategic Partnership by exploring cooperation in trade and economy, critical and emerging technologies, green hydrogen, shipbuilding, culture, and people-to-people ties. Regional and global issues were also discussed.' Further strengthening ties in the Latin American region, Jaiswal stated in another post, 'Boosting India-Mexico warm & historical ties. PM @narendramodi met President Dr. @Claudiashein of Mexico, on the sidelines of 51st G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada. This was the first meeting between the two leaders. Both sides discussed avenues to further deepen cooperation in trade, pharmaceuticals, S&T, digital innovation and shared perspectives on key global & regional issues, including priorities of the Global South.' Expanding on the meeting, Prime Minister Modi said, 'I had a very good meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. I personally congratulated her on her historic electoral victory, becoming the first female President of Mexico in two centuries. We both see immense potential for further strengthening ties between India and Mexico in the future, especially in sectors such as agriculture, semiconductors, critical minerals, healthcare, among others. We also discussed ways to strengthen the ties between our peoples.' PM Modi also extended an invitation to President Sheinbaum to visit India. He congratulated President of Mexico on her historic victory and thanked President Sheinbaum for the support extended by Mexico in India's fight against terrorism. Continuing his diplomatic engagements at the summit, Prime Minister Modi also interacted with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia. In a post on X, PM Modi said, 'Good to meet my friend, PM Albanese of Australia during the G7 Summit in Canada! @AlboMP' Highlighting India's engagement with the host nation, Jaiswal shared, 'Building bridges for global progress and cooperation. PM @MarkJCarney of Canada welcomed PM @narendramodi at the #G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada.' Adding to the series of key bilateral meetings, Prime Minister Modi also met with President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa. In a social media post, PM Modi wrote, 'Happy to interact with the President of South Africa, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa at the G7 Summit. @CyrilRamaphosa' PM Modi also held a pull-aside meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Canada on Tuesday to attend the G7 Summit. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney received PM Modi as he arrived at the summit venue in Kananaskis, Alberta. This marks his sixth consecutive participation in the G7 Summit and his first visit to Canada in a decade. PM Modi received a ceremonial welcome at the Calgary airport, where India's acting high commissioner, Chinmoy Naik, was among those who received him. Setting the tone for his engagements, PM Modi, upon arriving in Calgary, said on Monday (local time) that he would meet various leaders at the G7 Summit and share his thoughts on important global issues. PM Modi added that he would also emphasise the priorities of the Global South during the summit. This visit is part of his three-nation official tour, which began with Cyprus and will conclude with Croatia. In a post on X, PM Modi stated, 'Landed in Calgary, Canada, to take part in the G7 Summit. Will be meeting various leaders at the Summit and sharing my thoughts on important global issues. Will also be emphasising the priorities of the Global South.' The G7 Summit is an annual gathering of leaders from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada, and the European Union (EU). This marks PM Modi's sixth consecutive participation in the G7 Summit. (ANI)
Canada Standard
2 hours ago
- Canada Standard
"Fully agree with you...India's friendship with Italy will continue to get stronger": PM Modi after meeting Giorgia Meloni
Kananaskis [Canada], June 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the 51st G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada. PM Modi expressed his enthusiasm for the growing friendship between India and Italy, stating that their bilateral relationship will continue to strengthen, benefiting both nations. A video showed PM Modi greeting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with a handshake and engaging in a brief conversation with her during the summit. The camaraderie between PM Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been making waves on social media, with their interactions sparking a trending hashtag #Melodi. PM Modi and Meloni have showcased their friendly rapport in videos and selfies, including one taken during the COP28 summit in Dubai, where Meloni captioned the photo 'Good friends at COP28, #Melodi'. Their chemistry was on display during the G20 summit in India, with users editing videos to make the two leaders appear like they're in a romantic relationship, complete with Bollywood music overlays and playful captions. Their friendly interaction marks a significant diplomatic connection between Italy and India, with both leaders expressing enthusiasm for collaborative efforts in areas like sustainability, energy, and industry. Earlier in the day, PM Modi arrived at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Canada to attend the high-level gathering. Canadian PM Mark Carney received PM Modi as he arrived at the venue of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. This marks his sixth consecutive participation in the G7 Summit and his first visit to Canada in a decade. PM Modi received a ceremonial welcome at the Calgary airport, where India's acting high commissioner, Chinmoy Naik, was among those who received him. Upon arriving in Calgary, Canada, PM Modi on Monday (local time) said he will meet various leaders at the G7 Summit and share his thoughts on important global issues. PM Modi said he will also emphasise the priorities of the Global South. This visit is part of PM Modi's three-nation official tour, which began with Cyprus and will conclude with Croatia. In a post on X, PM Modi stated, 'Landed in Calgary, Canada, to take part in the G7 Summit. Will be meeting various leaders at the Summit and sharing my thoughts on important global issues. Will also be emphasising the priorities of the Global South.' Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that PM Modi will be participating in G7 discussions on the future of energy security, including diversification, technology, infrastructure and investment, to ensure access and affordability in a changing world. 'At the invitation of PM @MarkJCarney, PM @narendramodi arrives in Alberta, Canada for the G7 Summit. PM will be participating in @G7 discussions on the future of energy security, including diversification, technology, infrastructure and investment, to ensure access and affordability in a changing world. PM will also hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines,'Jaiswal posted on X. The Prime Minister arrived in Canada after concluding his visit to Cyprus. PM Modi's visit to Canada marks a significant moment in bilateral ties following a phase of strained diplomatic relations. The G7 Summit is an annual gathering of leaders from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada, and the European Union (EU). This marks PM Modi's sixth consecutive participation in the G7 Summit. (ANI)
