Description: Top diplomats from UK, Germany, France, Japan and Italy were hosted in Quebec by Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also attending. The representatives discussed the growing global economic tensions caused by the imposition of tariffs by US President Trump and potential conflict resolutions and continued support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. The meeting agenda also touched on subjects such as the Indo – Pacific geopolitical tensions, the state of affairs on the African continent, Iran’s nuclear ambitions and global maritime security. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed Trump’s tariff threats as he stated that President Trump had discussed what would initially be a positive initiative for protecting and empowering the US economy. Melanie Joly reiterated Canada’s stance on the tariff question and stated that Canada wouldn’t bow down to US demands while Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock openly supported Joly in her statements.
Impact: The considerable economic and strategic global tensions instigated by Trump’s aggressive and assertive foreign policy further divide longstanding relationships between the US and its allies. The G7 meeting only emphasized the widening of multilateral relations and labeled the current US administration’s measures as counterproductive within the global geopolitical dynamics. Resolutions of global issues such as Iran’s nuclear ambitions, escalation of armed conflicts in Africa and growing Chinese influence in the Indo – Pacific are under considerable risk of being inappropriately addressed by the dissolution among the Western allied ranks.