Marco Rubio Could Face Frosty Reception From G7 Allies Angered By Trump’s Policies | EUROtoday

LA MALBAIE, Canada (AP) — Top diplomats from the Group of seven industrialized democracies gathered in Canada on Thursday as U.S. President Donald Trump’s commerce and international insurance policies have thrown the bloc’s as soon as stable unity into disarray.

The assembly started simply minutes after Trump threatened to impose 200% tariffs on European wine and different alcohol if the European Union doesn’t again down from retaliating in opposition to U.S. metal and aluminum tariffs with a levy on American whiskey.

The escalating commerce battle provides to uncertainty over relations between the U.S. and its closest allies, which have already been strained by Trump’s place on Russia’s battle in Ukraine.

It additionally doubtless means U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will hear a litany of complaints as he meets with the international ministers of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan over the following two days.

All of them have been angered by the brand new American president’s insurance policies, and the ministers smiled stiffly in frigid temperatures as they posed for a gaggle picture at a snowy resort in La Malbaie, Quebec, on the St. Lawrence River.

“Peace and stability is at the top of our agenda, and I look forward discussing how we continue to support Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal aggression,” Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly mentioned in short remarks at first of the conferences. “Of course we want to foster long-term stability as well in the Middle East.”

Rubio met earlier with Joly, arriving in Quebec simply hours after Trump’s metal and aluminum tariffs kicked in — prompting responses from the European Union and Canada.

En path to Canada from Saudi Arabia, the place he had received settlement from Ukraine for a 30-day ceasefire within the battle pending Russia’s approval, Rubio dismissed ideas that he would face an uncomfortable reception from this counterparts.

But Joly, the host of the assembly, made clear that Canada, a minimum of, wouldn’t again down. Trump has arguably been most antagonistic towards Canada with persistent discuss of it changing into the 51st U.S. state, further tariffs and repeated insults in opposition to its management.

Ahead of the talks, Joly mentioned that “in every single meeting, I will raise the issue of tariffs to coordinate a response with the Europeans and to put pressure on the Americans.” She famous that Trump “repeated his disrespectful 51st state rhetoric.”

Rubio downplayed Trump’s these feedback, saying the president was solely expressing what he thought can be a good suggestion.

The G7 grouping “is not a meeting about how we’re going to take over Canada,” Rubio mentioned.

On tariffs, Rubio mentioned G7 companions ought to perceive that these are a “policy decision” by Trump to guard American competitiveness.

“I think it is quite possible that we could do these things and at the same time deal in a constructive way with our allies and friends and partners on all the other issues that we work together on,” Rubio instructed reporters Wednesday on a refueling cease in Ireland. “And that’s what I expect out of the G7 and Canada.”

Asked if he anticipated a troublesome reception from his counterparts, Rubio brushed the query apart: “I don’t know, should I be? I mean, they’ve invited us to come. We intend to go. The alternative is to not go. I think that would actually make things worse, not better.”

Rubio notably skipped a gathering of G20 international ministers — an even bigger however much less highly effective group that features creating nations — final month in South Africa due to his issues that the agenda, which included local weather change and variety, didn’t align with Trump administration insurance policies.

The agenda for the G7 assembly contains discussions on China and the Indo-Pacific; Ukraine and Europe; stability within the Americas; the Middle East; maritime safety; Africa; and China, North Korea, Iran and Russia.

Rubio and Trump’s nationwide safety adviser, Mike Waltz, had been in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, earlier within the week securing a probably large win for the administration — a doable ceasefire to finish the Russia-Ukraine battle, a problem that galvanized the G7 since even earlier than the battle started. Trump’s particular envoy Steve Witkoff arrived Thursday in Russia for talks with officers on the proposal.

Armed with Ukraine’s acceptance of the proposal for a 30-day ceasefire however nonetheless awaiting a Russian response, Rubio can count on cautiously optimistic responses from his fellow diplomats.

Yet, Trump’s obvious want to attract Russian President Vladimir Putin again into the fold — together with saying he wish to see Russia rejoin the group to revive it to the G8 — continues to alarm G7 members. They united behind Ukraine, with giant quantities of navy help and punishing financial sanctions in opposition to Moscow, after the invasion started in February 2022.

Russia was thrown out of the G8 after it annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Among worldwide groupings, the G7 — whose members, except for Japan, are all NATO allies — had been the hardest on Russia.

At the final G7 international ministers assembly earlier than the 2022 invasion, members warned Russia in a joint assertion in December 2021 of “massive consequences” ought to it assault Ukraine. Three months later, they coordinated to impose sweeping monetary, journey and different sanctions on Moscow.

Since Trump’s election, that seems to be altering, a minimum of from the U.S. aspect.

Rubio mentioned his objective was to not antagonize Russia because it considers the ceasefire proposal “by issuing statements that are abrasive in any way.” He famous that the entire sanctions in opposition to Russia stay in place however that new threats of motion may very well be counterproductive to getting Putin on board with the U.S. peace plan.

That throws into query hopes that the G7 can unify round a typical assertion condemning Russia.

Britain, together with France, has been spearheading efforts to arrange a “coalition of the willing” to assist safeguard a future ceasefire in Ukraine, together with with troops on the bottom. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer — who has mentioned the plan will solely work with U.S. safety ensures to again it up — plans to host a digital assembly of about two dozen nations Saturday to debate progress.

Rubio and different Trump administration officers have to this point refused to endorse European peacekeepers.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock mentioned G7 unity has been vital in guaranteeing that “Putin to this day hasn’t achieved his war aims in Ukraine.”

“The way to peace goes via strength and unity — a language that Putin understands,” she mentioned in an announcement earlier than the assembly.

Associated Press writers Rob Gillies in Toronto, Jill Lawless in London, and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.