G7 preparing new Russian sanctions fearing ceasefire failure

Countries condemn Moscow’s mixed signals in its response to Ukraine ceasefire proposal

King Charles III holds an audience with Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, at Buckingham Palace, on March 17. PA

The G7 countries are preparing major energy and defence sanctions on Russia if President Vladmir Putin continues to “pay lip-service” to a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy told parliament on Monday evening that the G7 agreed to “ready the tools” to force Russia to negotiate seriously after a 30-day ceasefire had been approved by Kyiv last week.

It was down to President Vladimir Putin to decide on Russia’s course of action. “Are you serious, Mr Putin, about peace?” Mr Lammy said. “Will you stop the fighting, or will you drag your feet and play games, paying lip service to a ceasefire while still pummelling Ukraine?”

But the G7 countries – Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and America – were united in agreement that if Mr Putin rejected a ceasefire, “we have more cards that we can play”, he said.

At the meeting in Charlevoix, Canada, the foreign ministers discussed “where we can go further to target their energy and defence sectors” with sanctions to “further squeeze their revenues”.

More talks on assembling a “coalition of the willing” to act as a deterrence force in Ukraine will continue this week, with a meeting of defence chief and ministers in London on Thursday.

G7 foreign ministers in Canada. AP

He was speaking as new Canadian leader Mark Carney arrived in Britain. Canada took part in an online meeting of world leaders hosted Mr Starmer on Saturday.

The G7 leaders’ summit in June will now take on greater significance after Mr Carney invited Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy to attend. US President Donald Trump will also be present.

Mr Carney, a former governor of the Bank of England, met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Monday and later met Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The king is the head of state for Canada and recently planted a maple tree in the palace grounds.

Mr Carney and Mr Starmer were due to discuss potential greater trade links and Canada becoming a firm member of the “coalition of the willing” deterrence force for Ukraine.

Mr Carney has already made a strong political statement by choosing France then Britain as his opening official foreign trips, breaking the tradition of America being a new Canadian leader’s first visit.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomes the new Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, at 10 Downing Street in London.

With Mr Trump publicly stating that the US should absorb Canada, frequently referring to it as the “51st state”, while imposing 25 per cent tariffs on goods, the two countries' traditional alliance is in disarray.

In a pointed reference to that, Mr Carney said Canada was working with “reliable allies” as he stood next to President Emmanuel Macron in Paris at the Elysee Palace.

“We know that economic collaboration, not confrontation, is the way to build strong economies,” he said.

During his speech to parliament, Mr Lammy said the summit also condemned Israel’s blocking of aid to Gaza, which they condemned as “appalling and unacceptable”. “Humanitarian aid should never be used as a political tool. We urge the Israeli government to change course,” he said.

Mr Lammy also highlighted Iran’s production of enriched uranium, which “makes a mockery” of the 2015 nuclear agreement. “Iran can never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon,” he said.

He also denounced the continued atrocities in Sudan, which he will address when he hosts a London conference next month on ending the civil war.