Russian and Chinese leaders Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping held a phone call on Thursday in which they “discussed the results of the recent G7 meeting in Canada,” with special attention to friction among various nations.
“In particular, they noted the well-known rough edges that emerged in the relations between participants,” the Kremlin said.
“And, by the way, it was mentioned that for Zelensky this was by no means the most successful trip abroad,” Kremlin spokesman Yuri Ushakov added.
According to the Kremlin, Putin and Xi talked for about an hour. In addition to the G7 summit, they talked about the upcoming summit of their BRICS economic bloc in Brazil next month, and the Israel-Iran conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the G7 summit in Canada as a guest on Tuesday, its final day. President Donald Trump departed the summit unexpectedly on Monday night to return to Washington due to the war between Israel and Iran, so Zelensky missed him.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung – making his first trip abroad since taking office – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also missed meetings with Trump due to his early departure.
Zelensky himself cut his visit to Canada short and returned to Ukraine before the G7 summit concluded. He was originally scheduled to visit Calgary and attend several events, including a press conference, but all of those events were canceled.
Ukrainian officials hinted that Russia’s deadly missile attack on Kyiv on Tuesday night was a major reason for Zelensky’s early departure. Zelensky appeared frustrated that he did not get a meeting with Trump.
“Even if the American President is not putting enough pressure on Russia right now, the truth is that America still has the broadest global interests and the largest number of allies. All of them will need strong protection,” he said.
Zelensky told the remaining G7 leaders that “diplomacy is now in a state of crisis” because Trump is not using his “real influence” to force Russia to end the war.
A Canadian official told reporters his government wanted the G7 to issue a joint declaration on the war in Ukraine, similar to the one it produced on Iran, but dropped the idea because President Trump had some objections to the wording of the statement.
The office of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney denied this report and said there was no proposal for a joint statement on Ukraine. He said the “exceptional, fast-moving situation in Iran” obliged the G7 to “concentrate” on that crisis.
“G7 leaders expressed support for President Trump’s efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. They recognized that Ukraine has committed to an unconditional ceasefire, and they agreed that Russia must do the same,” Carney said on Wednesday, speaking as rotating chair of the G7.
“G7 leaders are resolute in exploring all options to maximize pressure on Russia, including financial sanctions,” Carney said.
Canada on Tuesday announced a new package of military support for Ukraine valued at $1.5 billion in U.S. dollars. Carney said the package would include drones, helicopters, and munitions. He also offered Ukraine a $2 billion development loan, with interest to be paid from frozen Russian financial assets.
Zelensky said he was satisfied with the support he received from the G7 nations.
“It is important that our partners are ready not only to support our defense now, but also to rebuild Ukraine together after the war ends. I thank everyone who helps us fight Russian aggression and who, together with Ukraine, is building a strong security architecture for the future,” he said.
The left-wing New York Times (NYT) noted on Wednesday that even though the G7 produced a joint statement on Iran, there were some frictions on that topic as well as on Ukraine. Germany claimed Israel was doing the “dirty work” of Western powers by attacking the Iranian nuclear program, while France cautioned that using “military strikes to change the regime” could unleash “chaos.”
“Does anyone think that what was done in Iraq in 2003 was a good idea? Does anyone think that what was done in Libya the next decade was a good idea? No!” exclaimed French President Emmanuel Macron.
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