G7 foreign ministers call for urgent ceasefire in Ukraine, raise alarm about Sudan

NIAGARA, Canada (MNTV) – Foreign ministers of the G7 called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and raised alarm about the escalating crisis in Sudan as they wrapped up a meeting in Canada.

In a joint statement, the top diplomats from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States voiced “unwavering support” for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

“An immediate ceasefire is urgently needed,” the Group of Seven said.

At the talks near Niagara Falls, G7 leaders discussed various options to bolster funding for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion.

The statement said the scenarios discussed included “further leveraging immobilized Russian sovereign assets” held across different G7 jurisdictions—a complex strategy that has been intensively debated within the European Union.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, who was invited to the talks, earlier told reporters that the G7 needed to increase pressure on Russia’s Vladimir Putin while reinforcing Ukraine’s war-making capacity.

“Putin still has an illusion that he can win,” Sybiha said. “In reality, he has lost over one million soldiers and has not achieved a single strategic goal… We must make the cost of continuing this war unbearable and dangerous for Putin personally and his regime,” he added.

Earlier Wednesday, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand announced new sanctions on entities Canada says are used to launch cyberattacks on Ukraine.

Vessels linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet—ships allegedly used to transport prohibited Russian oil—were also targeted.

“Canada will continue to ensure that Russia’s actions do not go unpunished,” Anand told reporters. She said the sanctions were the first on the “IT infrastructure used in Russia’s hybrid strategies against Ukraine.”

Companies involved in Russia’s liquefied natural gas industry were also sanctioned.

The UK announced £13 million ($17.1 million) in funding to help repair Ukraine’s energy sector, which has suffered massive Russian attacks in recent days.

The joint G7 statement also condemned surging violence in Sudan, saying the conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had triggered “the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged international action to cut off weapons to the RSF, blaming the paramilitary group for escalating bloodshed.

“I think something needs to be done to cut off the weapons and support that the RSF is getting as they continue with their advances,” Rubio said.

Since April 2023, the war in Sudan has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 12 million.

The G7 meeting followed the RSF’s capture of El-Fasher, the last army stronghold in western Darfur. Reports of mass killings have since emerged.

The G7 urged both sides to “de-escalate, commit to an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and ensure rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance.”

As the talks opened Tuesday, France’s Jean-Noel Barrot issued a warning about potential consequences of the US military buildup in the Caribbean, which Trump’s administration says is aimed at countering illegal drug trafficking.

“We have observed, with concern, military operations in the Caribbean region because they disregard international law,” Barrot said after a US aircraft carrier strike group entered an area controlled by US Naval Forces Southern Command.

Rubio said Wednesday that G7 allies did not raise concerns with him over Venezuela and denied a CNN report that Britain had curbed intelligence sharing.

“No one in the meeting raised it,” he said.

Rubio also held bilateral talks with Anand, though they did not discuss Trump’s trade war, which has caused job losses in Canada and strained economic growth.

Anand faced questions about her decision not to bring up tariffs, saying it was outside her mandate.

“The issues relating to trade fall within the purview of other cabinet ministers,” she said.