WASHINGTON — In a world shaken by volatile geopolitics and U.S. President Donald Trump’s protectionist policies, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is making a push for multilateralism as Canada closes out its presidency of the Group of Seven countries.
Anand is welcoming G7 foreign ministers to Ontario’s freshly snow-covered Niagara region Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss shared economic and security challenges.
“As we wrap up Canada’s G7 presidency, I want to ensure that Canada remains a leader on the world stage,” Anand said in an interview with The Canadian Press Monday. “That is going to be the overarching message that I bring to the table.”
The G7 ministers will grapple with ongoing instability around the world amid shifting trade relationships accelerated by Trump’s return to the White House this year.
Foreign ministers from G7 members — France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union — will be tackling challenges ranging from Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine to China’s monopoly on critical minerals.
Anand has also invited foreign ministers from Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea and Ukraine.
Trump has long shown skepticism of multilateral co-operation. Citing his America First agenda, he cut funding to the United Nations and withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate change and the World Health Organization.
The president also hit the other G7 nations — America’s close allies — with unprecedented levels of tariffs.
Anand did not say whether she will talk to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about bilateral trade negotiations, which Trump suspended last month after Ontario sponsored a TV ad that featured former American president Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs.
The June G7 leaders summit in Alberta was meant to showcase unity on top global concerns but Trump left early, saying he had to deal with escalations between Israel and Iran. Ultimately, no joint statement on Ukraine was released after pushback from Trump’s team.
Fen Osler Hampson, an international affairs professor at Carleton University, said “this meeting is a snapshot of a broader challenge facing democracies.”
“How do you build collective security, collective economic security when your most powerful member sees economic policy primarily through a narrow nationalist lens?” Hampson said.
The G7 still works because it focuses on “narrow, practical co-operation where interests align,” he added.
“Leaders are still meeting. And at the worst of times, perhaps that’s the best you can hope for.”
It is unclear if there’s alignment in the G7 on Ukraine, although Anand said leaders would be working to develop a joint statement this week.
Russia’s war in Ukraine remains a thorn for Trump. Russia and Ukraine have traded almost daily assaults on each other’s energy infrastructure recently as U.S.-led diplomatic efforts remain at a standstill.
Rubio has long been a Russia Hawk but the president remains inconsistent on his messaging on the war.
Hampson said he will be watching to see whether the G7 issues a strong affirmation of support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity or if Rubio is “going to be reined in by his boss.”
The G7 meeting will also look to the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, which both Hamas and the Israeli military have accused each other of violating.
Anand said she and Rubio “agree that President Trump’s work to end the war in Gaza is both welcome and crucial.” They also agree Hamas must disarm and have no role in the governance of Palestine, and that humanitarian aid and the reconstruction of Gaza are priorities, she said.
Rubio asked Anand to bring other countries to the table for a future Gaza reconstruction conference, she said. Canadian military personnel are already deployed to Israel to monitor the ceasefire
Another priority for Anand is to discuss Canada’s role in critical minerals and maritime security.
During the March G7 meeting in Quebec, foreign ministers supported a taskforce to tackle Russia’s shadow fleet of oil-carrying tankers, something for which Canada had pushed. Hampson said hundreds of shadow fleet vessels have since been sanctioned.
Another key area of discussion will be how G7 nations can collaborate to push back on Chinese dominance of critical minerals and processing.
Trump, however, just negotiated a one-year deal with China to suspend its rare-earth export controls in exchange for lowering tariffs. It’s unclear if Trump’s team will want softer language on China in any joint statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 10, 2025.
— With files The Associated Press
Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press
